


Percy and the Weasleys and Oliver Wood

by EvanescentLife



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hogwarts Era, M/M, Percy Weasley-centric, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvanescentLife/pseuds/EvanescentLife
Summary: Percy Weasley through Hogwarts and the War.Family trials and tribulations, Oliver and quidditch nuisances. Generally follows canon but more gay.--But it was hard to avoid Oliver Wood. As fellow first year Gryffindors, they had every class together, and Oliver was loud. He would cheer and boast in flying lessons with Madam Hooch, he would snore like a foghorn in History of Magic, his charms would get successively louder as if shouting would suddenly make the spell work (it didn't, and Flitwick finally started docking points when Oliver got too loud). Everyone liked Oliver, and Charlie even let him join some of the quidditch practices, even if he couldn't be on the team. Oliver would talk about the practices for hours, even mumbling about it in his sleep. His brothers suggested he try to make friends with him, that they'd be good for each other, but Percy would wrinkle his nose and bury it so deep in his book that his glasses would slip off. He would never be friends with Oliver Wood.
Relationships: Percy Weasley & Weasley Family, Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
Comments: 55
Kudos: 411





	1. First Year: Oliver Wood

**Author's Note:**

> @ me coming back to post a fic every two years because most of the ones out there are unsatisfactory (stop tagging your side couples, I came here to read them as the main bois).
> 
> Anyway Percy Weasley has a great arc through the HP series and it should've been explored more, but this is better cuz it's gay.

"Do you like quidditch?" Oliver Wood asked him that first night.

"No," Percy replied curtly.

"Oh." But Oliver perked up quickly, "Isn't your brother on the quidditch team?"

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna watch the first game with me?"

"No."

"I'll watch it with you, Oliver," said one of the other first years, Jenson. So Oliver jumped off into a conversation with him.

Percy started arranging his desk. Stupid quidditch. Maybe Bill and Charlie could get by on quidditch, but Percy was here for school. He would do well in all of his classes, which meant he could get a job at the Ministry like Dad. Bill and Charlie couldn't do that, not when they were so busy with quidditch. Especially Charlie.

***

Percy felt a spike of pride when he got Mum's letter congratulating him on Gryffindor. He puffed out his chest and waved the letter at Bill and Charlie, who smiled in return.

"Hat might be wrong sometimes," Oliver had retorted. "A Weasley who doesn't like quidditch? Why not a Weasley who's not in Gryffindor."

Before Percy completely deflated, Bill had stepped in to show off his neutral love of quidditch, even if it meant breaking out into an argument with Charlie, so Percy hid his smile by sticking his tongue out at Oliver and dashing away to class. Though they had it together, so running away didn't do much and Oliver just caught up and punched him in the shoulder with a toothy grin. "Bravery comes in all forms, it's just easier to see in quidditch."

Percy didn't see how a sport, where one of the goals was to whack players off their brooms, was brave instead of stupid, so he said just that and ducked into the classroom to avoid another punch to the arm.

***

Oliver continued to be a nuisance. He plastered quidditch posters all around their room, much to the delight of the rest of the boys, but he'd even stuck one up above Percy's desk. They all came back loud and rambunctious after a quidditch match, even if Gryffindor wasn't playing, but Oliver was by far the loudest, shouting over the others about plays that should've been made and what _he_ would've done. Percy just sniffed and cast a silencing charm around his desk so they couldn't bother him.

Except when Gryffindor won, and Oliver would walk up and shake his shoulders and holler in his ears, bounding away before Percy could retaliate.

He tried complaining to Charlie about it, first. But he just laughed and ruffled Percy's hair, saying "You need to relax sometimes Percy, don't stay stuck at your desk." Since that wasn't particularly helpful advice, Percy then went to Bill, but he said basically the same thing: "Let your hair down, Perce, stop being so stuffy." So Percy complained to McGonagall. Weasleys were always Gryffindors, but Ravenclaw must surely be a little bit more quiet and studious, and could she maybe draw up a bed for him there, even if only on nights with quidditch matches. She had raised her eyebrows at him, and he suddenly remembered that Charlie had once said she used to play quidditch, but she said, "Have you maybe tried the library?" Percy blinked, pushed his glasses back up his noise, and said simply, "Thank you."

So now he spent all his free time in the library. He would get his favorite desk in the back, or one a couple down from that if it was taken (never by a window, because you could see the quidditch pitch from here), and hole up with his homework or a book.

He made quiet friends with the Ravenclaws, and one Slytherin boy, Connor, who had bonded with him over a similar Oliver-esque affliction by the name of Marcus Flint. But Gryffindor was his home and his pride, as a Weasley. Oliver may have taken the boys in his year with his talk of quidditch, but Percy would eat with the girls or the second years, play wizards chess with Charlie and Bill and other Gryffindors who had free time and enjoyed it (Percy found it was a good way to connect with the wilder type, as they were a fan of the bashing and the banter while Percy enjoyed the intellectual stimulation, and it reminded him of spending time with Ron and decidedly _not_ Fred or George).

But it was hard to avoid Oliver Wood. As fellow first year Gryffindors, they had every class together, and Oliver was _l_ _oud_. He would cheer and boast in flying lessons with Madam Hooch, he would snore like a foghorn in History of Magic, his charms would get successively louder as if shouting would suddenly make the spell work (it didn't, and Flitwick finally started docking points when Oliver got too loud). Everyone liked Oliver, and Charlie even let him join some of the quidditch practices, even if he couldn't be on the team. Oliver would talk about the practices for _hours_ , even mumbling about it in his sleep. His brothers suggested he try to make friends with him, that they'd be good for each other, but Percy would wrinkle his nose and bury it so deep in his book that his glasses would slip off. He would never be friends with Oliver Wood.

***

It was towards the end of the year when Percy first saw Oliver outside of classes and Gryffindor tower. Percy was at his favorite table in the library, his notes spread out as he studied for final exams. But then there was a tentative cough above him. Percy looked up, his glasses just about slipping off his nose, and a blurry looking Oliver Wood stood before him. Percy shoved his glasses back on his face to make sure that that was actually what he was seeing. 

A now in-focus Oliver had a thin stack of paper clutched tightly in his hands, his eyes cast a little off to the side. He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. "You're pretty smart, right?"

Percy blinked at him, completely thrown off when the word "quidditch" did not come out of Oliver's mouth. "Uh, yeah, I suppose."

"Well, I need help with transfiguration. And potions. McGonagall and Snape said I might fail, based on how I've done so far."

"Maybe if your head wasn't so full of quidditch, that wouldn't be a problem."

Oliver's eyes flashed at that. "Quidditch is my life! That's what I'll do after I graduate so I don't need to know this stuff. And I'm doing fine in all of my other classes, it's just those two."

Even if Oliver was obsessed with Quidditch, Percy wasn't too sure it would pan out professionally, even Charlie wasn't pursuing that. But Percy did know school, and those were the hardest first-year classes.

"Please, Weasley."

That was probably a quidditch thing, calling people by their last names. Charlie did it too, sometimes. Percy found it a little odd, but he went with it. "Okay, I'll help you study. I was just about to start potions anyway."

So Oliver plopped down across from him, set down his meager pile of paper and looked at Percy. "So what's first?"

Percy wrinkled his nose. "I'm not going to walk you through everything. Look over your notes and ask me if you have any questions."

"Okay." So he started rifling through his papers. Loudly.

Percy went back to work for a couple minutes, but Oliver would not stop flipping back and forth and over and under. So Percy sighed and took a glance at Oliver's work. And, that was weird. Some nonsense words about cauldrons, but, "What are all these circles and arrows? Are your notes coded?"

"No, they're quidditch plays! See in this one, the first chaser will come around with the quaffle while the beater goes behind them, leaving the second chaser to --"

"Why do you have quidditch plays on your potions notes?"

"I think it's supposed to be transfiguration. But it ended up mostly being quidditch plays. I have a hard time focusing." Oliver did look a little sheepish at that.

Percy decided to roll his eyes and move on. "Since your notes are pretty much useless, would you like to look at mine?"

Oliver sent him a blinding smile. "Thanks, Weasley!"

Insufferable. But Percy was nothing if not patient, and Oliver was not even close to Fred and George level, so Percy took the first paper off of his carefully organized stack and passed it to Oliver. "These are the topics for the exam. Read through them, and on your own paper, write down what you know, and then we can fill in the blanks."

"Brilliant!" Oliver took the page, and did as Percy suggested with intense concentration. Maybe Oliver wasn't entirely drowning in quidditch.

Percy realized he was wrong, however, when the next time he looked over, Oliver was ranking a list of famous quidditch players. "Morgan was better than Griffiths," Percy interrupted, startling Oliver into looking up.

"What? No way, Griffiths has scored more than Morgan has. Plus, Puddlemere is a better team than the Harpies."

"Actually, the Harpies have won more matches. And Griffiths may have scored more, but that's only because she played longer games because Puddlemere couldn't catch the snitch."

"That's the stupidest shit. The Harpies have won more in total, but in the past five years, Puddlemere has won most of the matches they played against the Harpies."

"Stop ranking quidditch players and study for potions."

Oliver stopped moving, his mouth half open. He had been flailing his arms around, but now they thunked to the table. "I thought you hated quidditch."

"I don't _hate_ quidditch, I just don't like when people get crazy obsessed with it. You can't be a Weasley if you hate quidditch." Percy shot him a withering glare. "But if you don't keep your voice down, Madame Pince will kick us both out."

"I will if you go to a quidditch match with me next year."

"Fine, but you have to get through studying potions, too."

Oliver grinned at him, and Percy thought maybe being friends wouldn't be too bad.


	2. Second Year: Bill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a beast, and I'm still not really happy with it, but this is what you get. Had to cut out like 3 scenes to get to a reasonable length, but even then it's still a little too long and doesn't feel very put together. Eh, whatever. I originally planned to have every other chapter be in Oliver's POV (even wrote a decent amount), but once you get to year 6, Percy's just a way more interesting character to follow and I pride myself on consistent POV switching hence I had to scrap the original 2, 4 and 6 years. Maybe I'll post deleted scenes later. But anyway, I'm finding years 2-4 to be the hardest to write, so expect the next couple updates to be on the slower side (this was surprisingly fast turnaround considering how much I didn't like this chapter after first writing it. I'm glad people like this so far, definitely motivated to finish this chapter cuz it's a been a real struggle to get it out)

Percy knew he wasn't supposed to have a favorite brother, but that title definitely belonged to Bill. Bill wasn't addicted to adrenaline like Charlie was, didn't torment Percy like the twins did, was more sure of himself than Ron. Bill had been Prefect and was now Head Boy, which Percy dreamed of being one day. Plus he was growing his hair out and Percy thought it looked cool.

So Percy would follow him around everywhere. Bill didn't mind for the most part, and Percy gave him space when he asked. Percy was respectful. He didn't pester Bill about Head Boy duties until they were alone, didn't trail him between classes because even Percy knew that would be too much. Bill would bring him back sweets from Hogsmeade, tell him bits of what they talked about in the Prefect meetings. He'd ruffle Percy's hair and tell him good job when he aced all his exams. Percy loved his brother, and he was leaving in a year (and then the twins would be here), so Percy wanted every second he could get.

Some of the other Gryffindor boys would make fun of Percy for it -- "Suck up," "What are you, some clingy puppy?" But Percy would just roll his eyes, say, "He's my brother, what would you do?" That got them to stop for a while. Jenson then picked it back up again, but Bill came up behind him and loomed over him until Jenson noticed and never mentioned it again. Bill just winked at Percy and went back to his work. Bill was cool like none of his other brothers were.

***

Oliver was a different story. He made the quidditch team, of course. Percy wasn't surprised but he still had fantasized that maybe he wouldn't make the team and would give up quidditch forever. The Weasleys were crazy enough about quidditch as it was, he didn't need that with his roommate too. Not to mention Oliver was already an entire step up over his family.

But Oliver had bounded into their room after tryouts, still sweaty and decked out in the tryout gear, and bellowed "I MADE THE TEAM!"

As the other boys in their dorm pounced on Oliver and hooted their congratulations, Percy knew whatever truce had been settled at the end of last year would not be able to continue. He packed up his work, mumbling under his breath about how loud and obnoxious quidditch was, and left for the library. They didn't acknowledge his departure, despite Percy stomping his feet more than usual.

Oliver still tried to talk to him. But Percy did _not_ want to hear about quidditch, so he would go to the library instead, or cast a muffling charm around his bed or desk. Especially when Oliver was there with the other Gryffindor boys in their room after practice, giving them an over-excited (and likely exaggerated) play-by-play. Percy was not looking forward to when games started and this would all get a million times worse.

***

Percy thought it was weird when Oliver didn't come bursting into the dorm room to yell about his first quidditch match. When it finally dribbled into dinner time, Percy figured they must've lost the game and brushed it off. But Charlie and the rest of the quidditch team weren't at dinner. Neither were the other first year boys. Percy sat with the first-year Gryffindor girls, deciding to ask them about it. "Did something happen at the quidditch game?"

"Yeah," Sara responded softly. "Oliver got hit in the head by a bludger right after the match started. Last we heard, he hasn't woken up yet."

"Oh. That's awful." Now Percy didn't particularly like quidditch, and he especially didn't like how much Oliver was obsessed with quidditch, but Percy knew he would hate it if a giant book fell on him in library and knocked him unconscious while he was gathering material for an essay, so he could understand how Oliver would feel when he woke up. "I hope he's okay."

But Oliver was not okay when Percy went to bed that night, or woke up again the next morning. Not in classes or at dinner. For the next day and the next. Percy kept expecting him to jump out and startle Percy like Fred and George would, or come bounding into the common room and shake Percy so hard his bones rattled, saying something about how he would get his quidditch revenge next time. But it was quiet. After growing up in the Weasley household with Fred and George on his tail all the time, and Oliver constantly bugging him, Percy hadn't realized what it was like to live in quiet. He felt off-kilter, like picking up a heavy box but being thrown off balance when you find out it's actually empty. 

Percy visited Oliver once. The thought hit suddenly and unexpectedly, and he veered right to the hospital wing instead of left to the library. He stood by Oliver's bed for a minute or two, saw his chest move up and down with shallow breaths, his head bandaged. Percy opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut and walked away. What was he doing here anyway? What would he get out of this?

A week after the match, Percy was doing work in the dorm room, aggressively drumming his fingers on the desk to fill the silence. At this point it felt like it was suffocating him. He enjoyed silence, that's why he would go work in the library, but now it was constant, filling him up with nothing. Like when hunger gnawed at his stomach so hard that he couldn't eat anything. It almost made him wish the twins were here.

"Weasley," someone said, but Percy ignored him as he was busy questioning whether or not he had actually for a moment wished to be with Fred and George. "Weasley," he tried again, this time right in Percy's ear.

Percy turned, ready to snap. "Get out of my space, Wood." And then it all sunk in. "You're back."

Oliver was grinning, ear to bandaged ear. "Didya miss me?"

Percy bristled. "No," he shot back, though even he could tell that that didn't sound like the truth. "It was nice to not have you blithering around all day."

Oliver just gave him a cheeky grin. "Well, I certainly didn't miss that. Pomfrey said I'd been out for a week, and I fully expected you to have taken over my desk."

"Well," Percy blustered through his words as best as he could, "Thomas already called dibs. And I _don't_ want to know how many dirty socks are lost in the crevices."

"In that case, if you help me catch back up on classes, you won't have to ever know."

"Fine."

***

"Do you have _any_ good notes?"

Oliver looked up sheepishly from a half-filled piece of parchment that just looked like a scribbled mess. "Ah, well, since I was so busy thinking about the upcoming quidditch match I wasn't really thinking about taking notes."

Percy let out a long suffering sigh and resisted banging his head against the table. "Okay. Where did you leave off in everything? Let's start with Charms."

"Um," Oliver shuffled through his papers, making far more noise than necessary, finally pulling aside one sheet and scanning through it. "Engorgement."

"Alright. We'll go from there."

It was exhausting. Although not a particularly slow learner, Oliver kept getting distracted and scribbling about quidditch and how bored he was and how snooty Percy was on his parchment. Percy pretended not to see that last one.

When they were wrapping up for the day, Oliver paused in packing up his new notes. "Um," he started, turning quiet and a little awkward, "I owe you for this, big time."

"It's nothing," Percy sniffed.

"No, really. I know I get distracted a lot, and we've barely gotten through Charms..." Oliver's voice trailed off a little, as his face slowly became grew red. Then he turned his face up to Percy, face still red but resolve coming back with his voice, "You didn't have to help me, but you did. And you're a good teacher. So, I really owe you, especially once we go through all the other classes." His voice died down again, gaze turning back to shuffling his notes away, "I mean, if you still want to help with the rest. You don't have to, you're probably busy with a bunch of other things."

"How are you going to find another tutor on such short notice that knows everything you missed?" Percy responded, doing his best to sound professional but probably sounding more uppity instead. "Besides," he tried to recover, "it helps me understand everything better, too."

Oliver, still red, gave Percy a bright smile, "Thanks!" and Percy couldn't help going a little pink too.

***

After Oliver was caught up in all of his classes, he corned Percy and bullied him into going to the quidditch game he promised last year. "Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are playing next month," he said, "We're going even if I have to drag you there, Weasley."

Percy complained about it to the only other person who would really understand. But all Connor really had to say was "I think I would die if I had to go a game with Marcus Flint," and shuddered at the thought of his dormmate. "What a bunch of quidditch lunatics."

So Percy contrived a plan to get out of going, but Oliver told his brothers. The day of the game, Bill and Charlie were decked out in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor colors respectively, stopping Percy from leaving the common room.

"Someone told us you're going to the match today," Charlie started slyly. "I hope you're not sneaking off to the library."

Percy had a book clutched to his chest and did not have on any house colors. "Ah. No, I was just going to return this book and meet Oliver there."

"That's not what he said."

Percy decided for one last ditch effort, turning to his oldest brother and and all but begging. "Bill, don't make me go this dumb game."

"It's not dumb," Oliver said from behind him.

Percy whirled around, holding the book tighter to his chest. "Well," he floundered for a second, "this game isn't even important for winning the cup, no matter who wins all the teams will be in the same place. You should know that, Wood."

Oliver looked a little embarrassed, scratching at the back of his neck as he mumbled, "Not as many people are gonna be as invested, so I thought you'd like it better. That's why I chose this one."

"Oh." That was oddly considerate, and stunned Percy just long enough for his brothers to grab him by the shoulders and pull him along to the quidditch pitch.

"Come on," Bill said, "it won't be that bad. And if it is, you can read that book you were gonna return."

It wasn't that bad. A little boring, but Oliver chattered away about everything the players were doing in a way that wasn't entirely annoying. Charlie would banter back, and sometimes Bill would say something to set both of them off, sending a secret smile to Percy when he did. So Percy enjoyed himself a little bit, especially when one of the players would do something cool and Oliver would turn to him, "Didya see that?" with a blinding grin on his face and thump Percy on the arm. 

But Percy was stubborn and had a reputation to uphold. "It's alright," he conceded when Oliver asked him if he enjoyed it, "but I'm not going to another match again."

"You always get me to go back to the library, so I'll get you to another match. Maybe not this year, but just you wait and see, Weasley."

***

"Game of chess after you return that book?" Bill said with a mischievous glint in his eye once they returned, and Percy was reminded why Bill got along with Fred and George.

But Percy was never one to turn down a game of wizard's chess with his brother. After a quick affirmation, he went off to the library and, not actually needing to return this book, picked up a couple more instead so he could hide the original one in the stack.

Bill raised an eyebrow upon Percy's return, but didn't say anything. Percy deposited the books in his room and joined Bill over the chessboard. They played until the common room cleared out, and then kept going.

"Can't you ever admit to having fun?" Bill asked as his knight kicked another one of Percy's bishops off the board.

Percy sighed, knowing Bill was planning on having this conversation since he asked Percy to play. Plus he was now out of bishops. "No."

Bill laughed at that, and claimed another piece. "If you say so."

Percy retaliated by taking Bill's knight, even if it wasn't the smartest move. Bill's favorite piece was the knight, and he swore as it tumbled off the board. "If I told Oliver that I even kind of enjoyed quidditch, I would never hear the end of it. I have to put up with him for five more years."

"He's not _that_ bad. Charlie really likes him. Actually picked him for keeper over the other girl because of his spunk."

"Spunk? His _brain_ is a _quaffle_."

"He has enough determination and stubbornness to rival yours. It's just going to a different place." Bill capitalized on Percy's rash mistake of taking the knight and put him in checkmate.

Percy sighed as his pieces shouted up at him in squeaky voices, so he put the game away with a sweep of his wand. He hadn't really ever thought of Oliver's motivation on par with his. Oliver flailed around like a drowning person with a half life raft when it came to academics. But, Percy supposed, that's how he himself was on a broom. At least flying lessons only went through first year, but schoolwork never ended.

"Seriously, Percy, don't be so uptight about everything all the time. I'm graduating and the twins are gonna be here next year," Bill laughed as Percy reflexively made a face at the mention of the terror twins. "Yeah, you know they're going to pester you, but if you have someone like Oliver on your side, maybe the two of you can keep them in check."

"Oliver? Keep someone in check? No way. He's the kind of crazy that would just encourage them, especially if they pulled pranks on the other quiddtich teams."

"They'll look up to him, though, and they won't get on the team if they're on his bad side, or be able to play if they're in detention."

Percy hummed thoughtfully at that. "I'll think about it. They can't play as first years, though."

"Just don't let Fred and George get to you too much, alright?"


	3. Third Year: Fred & George

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple nights ago I had a dream that the Weasleys were like a singing troupe, and Oliver was in a band looking for a singer. Percy got into a fight with his dad and Fred, but they made up pretty quickly and Percy was back in the troupe. Then all the Weasley's are at a cafe where Oliver's band is playing, and then Percy starts singing/harmonizing with them because he realizes they're missing something. Then Oliver was like oh shit, this is what we need for our band, and Percy was like what, and I think he joined them but then I woke up so I don't really remember. Anyway having that dream motivated me to finish this chapter (tho I promise none of it's showing up here), along with all of your kudos/comments. I'm also super stoked for once I reach years 5-7 (I kept rereading what I've written for those instead of writing this chapter), so stick around for that, I promise it'll be good!

Percy could already feel a headache coming on. He kissed his mother on the cheek, promised to look after _the twins_. There was no way he would get them out of trouble -- if they did something to warrant detention then they would deal with the punishment -- but he would try to keep them from doing anything particularly obnoxious. At least for a little while; if they kept pushing his buttons, he would leave them to fend for themselves. Luckily they latched on to Charlie and asked him to introduce them to the Gryffindor quidditch team, so Percy could get some reprieve.

As soon as Percy got on the train, he saw his brothers talking to Oliver. Oliver saw him and waved. Percy scrunched his nose, and saw Oliver laugh in response before bidding his brothers goodbye and coming over to Percy.

"What was that face?"

"Quidditch." He could feel his nose scrunching up again and tried to make his face neutral.

Oliver just laughed again. "Your brothers were already talking about being on the team. Are you the only one in your family who isn't quidditch crazy?"

Percy sniffed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Even Ginny is. After I stopped playing she begged to join, because without either of us they don't have a full team, but they all said she was too small."

"You played?" Oliver had gone bug-eyed. He hit Percy in the arm, eyes shining. "Why did you never tell me you played? You can help me with extra practices!"

"And that's exactly why I didn't tell you." But he still couldn't help the twitch of his lips into the start of a smile at Oliver's excitement.

***

As Percy expected, the twins were terrors. A few times, he successfully warded them off of performing some stunt or other, but then they got a third boy to join up with them, Lee Jordan. At that point they were basically unstoppable, so Percy left them mostly to McGonagall. But then Percy saw a prefect lecturing to them, and and that prompted the thought that _he_ would be prefect one day, and then he would really have to deal with them, so he still tried his hardest to keep them from doing stupid things. It didn't always work. Especially once they knew Percy was against it, it made them go full force to get it done, ten times bigger than they originally planned. 

Peeves loved them. Percy did not. They were annoying, and irritating, and the worst part was, they got everyone on their side. Even McGonagall tolerated some of their antics, which just made Percy seethe. Quidditch-Brain Oliver would take time out of quidditch rants to mention the crazy prank the twins pulled the other day. When he would complain to Connor about quidditch or the twins, the other boy would go off about how they pranked Flint and made his day. Percy couldn't go anywhere without seeing them or hearing about them. And it was _maddening_.

Percy mentioned to Charlie that they were getting on his nerves. Charlie just laughed it off, "Let them be, Perce, they're just enjoying themselves." He even complained about it to McGonagall once, though this time he was smart enough to leave off implying that maybe they could be moved to another House. She had just shrugged in resignation, "They're mostly harmless and not technically against school rules, so there's not much I can do." Changing school rules was the easy solution there, but Percy held his tongue.

He didn't hate his bothers (well, maybe a little bit sometimes), but they very clearly did not have their priorities straight. Plus, they enjoyed making Percy take the piss far too much. It was as if they had spent the last two years of Percy being away planning how to make his life miserable. It started out relatively calm since they didn't know much magic, but it ramped up as the year went on. After one particularly bad stint that ended up with them in Filch's office, it was if they always seemed to know where Percy was, and popped up out of nowhere to pull his wizard hat down over his eyes and then run away cackling.

***

Percy signed up for Divination because Charlie had said it was a load of horse shit. Percy wasn't particularly enthused about the class, but if Charlie thought it was stupid, that probably meant it was actually just over his head. Actually being able to foresee the future would be extremely helpful though, especially with Fred and George on the loose, so Percy decided to give it a chance.

It ended up being more than he hoped for. Not everything she said was reasonable, but even some of Trelawny's throw away comments would manifest themselves later. And she would commend Percy on his talents in front of the class, making him flush with pride. Percy especially enjoyed the tea leave readings. He hung on Trelawny's every word, trying to soak up as much as he could. Divination was fascinating. Not accurate all the time, of course, but it just a problem of interpretation. If you didn't interpret the signs correctly, then you would be wrong.

Percy was talking about it to the Gryffindor girls at dinner one day when Fred and George overheard him. 

"Can't believe Percy's buying into this crockery."

"Yeah, I could see Bill tolerating it, but I thought Percy was smarter than that."

"It _is_ real," Percy countered them. "And it's a very useful class. Have you ever even talked to Professor Trelawny?"

"We have, actually. She cowered by the wall and said I would die some tragic death, and George has a 'silenced' future ahead of him. What kind of teacher says that to first years?"

"She's lucky were not some airhead first years, 'else we'd believe her and be walking around like zombies for the rest of the year. Then we actually might live up to her fortune!"

Percy just huffed and ignored his brothers. 

"I like divination," Grace supplied, "I think it's very practical."

Now Percy wouldn't necessarily go that far, trying to predict the future wasn't practical at all because you were likely to read the signs wrong unless you had the Sight, but Percy wasn't about to fight with someone who was on his side against the twins.

***

Percy had to drag Fred and George away from the Forbidden Forest again. Anything that said Keep Out was bound to draw them in, so he'd made sure to tell Hagrid to watch out for them. Unfortunately Hagrid wasn't always around. So here Percy was, holding each twin by the scruff of their neck as he marched them back to the castle with guilty looks etched on their faces.

"We swear we weren't going to do anything bad."

"Or dangerous," George piped in agreement. "Just a quick trip into the Forest and back out again."

"Rubbish," Percy admonished. "You've already done that once, Hagrid found you in the trees. You never do the same thing twice."

"Aw, George, he actually pays attention to us."

"You're right Fred, he must really care if he notices what we do."

"Shut it, or next time I'll write Mum." If they continued like this, Percy would have his hands full as prefect. He ignored the niggling in the back corner of his mind that reminded Percy he would never forgive himself if something happened to them in the Forest.

But he did end up writing Mum. And watched with smug satisfaction as the howler shouted at them over breakfast.

***

Percy stopped up short outside McGonagall's office when he heard voices inside. It almost sounded like... Oliver? Percy paused, not wanting to walk in on them if McGonagall was talking about how close he was to failing. But then Percy heard another voice, not McGonagall or Oliver, so he knocked smartly on the door.

"Come in!"

Percy was greeted with the sight of McGonagall almost lounging in her chair -- or at least as close to lounging as Percy could imagine her getting -- with Oliver and Charlie on the other side of her desk. Little paper people were hovering around them on twigs.

"If you wouldn't mind waiting one moment, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, then continued whatever conversation she had been in before. The paper figures started moving again as McGonagall went off on some sports talk, Oliver and Charlie butting in, poking at the paper, on what Percy now realized were supposed to be broomsticks, to prod them in a different direction. After watching for a minute, Percy realized they were discussing one of Oliver's ideas, and it was him leading the conversation with McGonagall and Charlie giving him their advice. Charlie seemed particularly enthused about what the figures were doing, and even McGonagall didn't look as stern as usual. At a break in the conversation, she turned to Percy, leaving Oliver and Charlie to set the figures in a new formation.

"Sorry for the delay, what were you going to ask Mr. Weasley?"

"Uh," Percy was still a little distracted by the hovering figures and Oliver Wood's blinding enthusiasm and his older brother actually talking to a professor who wasn't Hagrid, but he shook himself and pushed all of itfrom his mind. "What we just learned in Arithmancy, I was wondering how it was applicable to Transifguration. I asked Professor Vector, but she said you probably know more about the Transfiguration side."

McGonagall hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, this is the balancing unit, isn't it?"

"Yes. So I can understand why you have first years transfigure matches into needles: they're the same shape and size, but the materials are different and that's why it can be troublesome. Then second year we turned beetles into buttons. They kept the same color and general shape, which kept some of the balance, but we transfigured a live animal into an inanimate object. Something has to be lost, right? Professor Vector said it was redirected, but I can't quite see how."

McGonagall waved her wand, and the chalkboard on her wall transformed into the basic balancing equation he had learned in Arithmancy, but with a few more terms tacked on the end.

"Oh," Percy breathed as she explained the extra terms to him, transfiguring several more items in the room and justifying their balance. "I get it now."

"Good, now how would you apply this to animagi?"

Percy thought about it for a moment, then went off on explaining, McGonagall countering some of his points, but he would simply readjust and fire right back. That's what he liked about McGonagall; she never hesitated to point out a hole in his argument, and enjoyed it just as much when he found some in hers. Some she left on purpose, but he could tell she was proud when he found them by the stern twist of her lips turning into a hint of smug amusement instead. 

Then Percy trailed off as he suddenly noticed that it had gone quiet in the quidditch corner. He glanced back at them, Charlie with his arms crossed and a proud smile on his face, and Oliver staring at him with some mix of shock and reverence. Percy turned back to McGonagall, his face heating up. He had lost track of how long they had been talking. "Ah, I think I've got it now, thank you Professor."

"Of course, Mr. Weasley, you know you're always welcome in my office."

He glanced back over to the quidditch corner, where Oliver had seemed to recover from his gaping but had turned a little pink in the process. Percy gave them a stiff nod, then breezed out of the room, heat still in his cheeks.

***

Percy couldn't get away from the twins. Last month they had turned his robes green, a couple days ago they had slipped something in his pumpkin juice that had alliterated everything he spoke for an hour, and now they had charmed his quill so there was an expletive or innuendo in every other sentence. Percy was the butt of just about all of their jokes, and he'd had enough.

"I will not stand for this," Percy announced, standing in front of them in the common room as they bent their heads over something.

They looked up at him, confusion written across their faces. "Won't stand for what, Percival?"

Percy forced himself to not frown at the use of his full name. He focused on keep his face stoic and stern, arms still and stiff at his sides, and maybe some of that alliterative squash sauce was still in his system. But that was beside the matter. "Pranking me, all the time. I won't tolerate it anymore."

"C'mon, Perce, they're just jokes."

"Yeah, we don't mean anything by it."

Percy sniffed, kept his head held high, and refused the desire to push his glasses back up his nose. They weren't even out of place. "Well it's ruining my concentration, and I can't do any work with this stupid quill."

"They're just harmless pranks." Fred had to stifle a laugh when he eyed the quill.

"We didn't think it bothered you this much, thought you were just being dramatic."

Percy narrowed his eyes at them. "Well I'm not. So cut it out or I'll have to sic the Bloody Baron on you like I do with Peeves."

"Not the Bloody Baron!"

"We promise we'll tone it down."

"Charlie's not as fun to prank, though, so you'll still be getting some."

"We can make it smaller."

Percy surveyed their cheeky grins, deciding that would have to suffice. There was definitely some sarcasm in there, but he would just have to hope they respected this truce enough. Then Percy realized that everyone nearby was staring at them. Maybe it hadn't been the smartest idea to confront the twins in the common room, but the only other time Percy saw them outside of their pranks was in the Great Hall, and he _didn't_ need the other houses spying on this conversation either. "Well," Percy finished a little lamely, fiddling with his glasses, "I'll be off then." Percy paused for another moment, shot a look at the spectators, and left for his room.

"You know who _really_ needs to be pranked?" Percy heard from somewhere behind him as he went up the stairs. "Cho Chang. We've got a match with Ravenclaw coming up, and it'd be great if you could throw her off a bit, really let her nerves kick in. She's new, after all..." his voice trailed off as Percy continued up the stairs. It had to be Oliver. Percy knew he would get the twins to go after the other quidditch teams eventually. But Percy had half a hope that Oliver was doing it to distract the twins from him. They weren't _friends_ , exactly, but Percy hadn't had to cast nearly as many silencing charms this year.

***

"Weasley."

Percy glanced up at Oliver, raising an eyebrow. "Wood."

"So we're not in the Quidditch Finals." It sounded like it had taken him a lot to accept that fact, and he still had to force it out through clenched teeth.

"So I heard from Charlie." And Charlie had been very vocal about it, too.

"And final exams are coming up."

"Yes, that usually happens at the end of the year."

"Well," Oliver drew a hand through his fair, a little desperation slipping onto his face, "could you help me with Transfiguration? I haven't really gotten it all year, and I haven't been practicing since I've been at quidditch practice. Also could use some help with Potions and History of Magic."

Percy shoved his glasses back up on his nose. "Sure. You don't have practice anymore, right?"

"Not officially."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, Charlie's talking to me about strategies for next year." Percy had a sudden flashback to the floating paper figures in McGonagall's office, but he shook himself back into focus as Oliver plowed on. "Flint's probably gonna get Slytherin Captain, and he's pretty vicious so we need to get ready to counter his dirty schemes."

Percy rolled his eyes at the dramatics. "Well I have free time Wednesday and Thursday night, so I can help you then."

"Alright, thanks Weasley." He hesitated a moment before trudging away, probably still upset about quidditch.

"Don't forget you still owe me from last year!" Percy called after him.

Oliver flashed a smile over his shoulder. "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spelled McGonagall's name so many different ways while writing this, I might not've fixed them all. Anyway, what if Trelawny was always predicting everyone's doom because there's actually a war coming up in a couple years????? Either way, I think Percy Weasley is the type of person who could get brainwashed under the right circumstances, and I tried to make that come across a little here. Also I wrote this instead of doing my homework, so you're welcome.


	4. Fourth Year: Captain Oliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone's who left a comment, and especially the two people who've commented on every chapter, you're the best! I don't make it a habit to respond to comments bc I don't want to artificially bloat my comment count (yeah I'm probably just being weird) and I don't want to feel like I'm shirking the people who left nice comments on my other stuff when I never responded bc I barely ever logged in. But I love them all and thanks for liking my stuff enough to say so!  
> Anyway JK Rowling did not do enough world building before she started writing these books, so I did my best to justify how Charlie fits into everything. I like this chapter a lot more than I thought I would, and I hope you do too! It ended up being a little too long, but I couldn't figure out what to cut so you get it all. There wasn't a lot of Oliver in the last chapter, so this one definitely makes up for it :) (Also you get like one more happy year before the pain and angst hit hard, so soak it up while you can)

As soon as Percy stepped on the train, he heard someone call "Weasley!" and then Oliver had seized his arm and dragged him into a compartment with the other Gryffindor boys in their year. They all stared at him expectantly, eyes wide as they clustered around him. Percy straightened and kept his head held high. He would not wilt under their gaze, no matter how intimidating it was to have a group of fourteen year old boys staring you down.

"Charlie's not playing this year?" Oliver asked, hand still clasped tightly around Percy's arm, likely to stop him from running away. That was probably a good precaution.

"What?" Percy responded, because he wasn't sure what Charlie had to do with anything.

"Quidditch," Oliver insisted. "Did he say he was resigning from the team?"

Percy sniffed and pushed his glasses up his nose with his free hand. "I don't know," he said snootily, as he couldn't care less what Charlie did with his free time since it typically involved copious amounts of time outdoors. "I don't talk to him about quidditch."

"Can you ask him?" Thomas asked, craning his neck around Oliver to see Percy. "Oliver's too scared to."

Oliver gave an indignant shout at that, making a grab for their roommate. This involved releasing his previous captive, so Percy backed up towards the door and slid it open. "If you want to know, ask Charlie yourself."

"Ask me what?"

Percy startled, spinning around to find Charlie standing behind him, hands on his hips and a crooked grin on his face. "Ah, they wanted to ask you something." So he stepped to the side, revealing four blustering, red-faced boys. They all stammered for a moment, glancing back and forth between each other and Charlie.

Percy gave a long suffering sigh. "For the love of--" He shoved his glasses back up his nose. "They want to know if you're playing quidditch this year."

Charlie hummed as the other Gryffindor boys finally turned curious gazes on him. "That's actually what I was just coming to talk to you about, Wood. Guess you heard about being Captain already."

 _Captain?_ Percy gaped at his brother. Oliver was captain?

Charlie side-eyed Percy, but ignored his surprise and pushed on, "I decided I wouldn't be playing this year. I asked Hagrid if I could help him out more with the magical creatures, so I won't have the time to play this year, let alone be Captain."

"But you could go pro!"

Charlie shook his head. "Nah, not what I want to do for the rest of my life. Plus, I couldn't let Flint get a leg up on ya by becoming Captain before you."

"But--"

"You'll do fine Wood!" Charlie sing-songed over him. "I wouldn't give up Captain to someone who couldn't handle it. And it's not like I'm gone forever, I can still help out if you need it." And with that he gave a jaunty wave and walked further down the train.

Percy glanced back to see a bug-eyed Oliver. "I have to," he mumbled, "I have to plan tryouts. And set a training regimen. Book the quidditch pitch for practices. Why didn't I start over the summer?" He continued rambling, the other boys dragging him around to assuage his fears and offer ideas. Percy decided to leave before it got too out of hand.

His mind was still reeling that Oliver Wood was now quidditch captain. He went down to the train to go commiserate with Connor, who'd already owled him over the summer about Flint's captaincy.

***

Oliver was absolutely insufferable, and it was like second year all over again. He would go on and on about quidditch, organizing practices, how the other teams were doing, stats on all the players. Luckily Oliver could now jabber to the team, and since he was the captain they had to listen to him. But sometimes Oliver would come back to the room and Percy would be the only one there. Then he would sit on Percy's bed, the closest seat to where Percy was working at his desk, and start yakking. 

"We finally got a good pair of beaters," Oliver started, and Percy made a face at the mention of the twins, "but they're inexperienced. Which would be fine, but we lost the best seeker and no one else is even close to decent. The chasers are okay, but they haven't figured out how to play with each other. And, ugh." Oliver flopped back onto Percy's bed, rolling around and ruining his nicely made bed.

Percy just rolled his eyes, though his fingers twitched as he controlled the urge to fix his sheets. A clean bed made for a clean mind. "Not everything is about quidditch, Wood. Maybe you can actually focus on studying now, instead of coming to me at the end of the year so you can just barely scrape by a pass."

"But it's worked every year so far! And also I'm Captain this year, which means the team _is_ my everything."

"Even Charlie didn't spend as much time on quidditch as you do, and that's before you became captain."

"He wasn't Captain as a fourth year, though."

"Actually he was."

Oliver held up his fingers as he counted back the years. "Oh, I guess you're right. 

Percy rolled his eyes, turning back to his work. "Course I am. But if you're really worried, you could ask Charlie to come back and play. He likes quidditch too much to turn you down."

"No!" Oliver exclaimed, as if nothing in the world could be worse. "Do you know how much Flint would talk shit? I would rather lose every game than see his smug face jeering about how I had to get help from Charlie. Slytherin actually has a good team, though, I watch their tryouts."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. You're probably enough to make up for a bad seeker, anyway."

When Oliver didn't respond, Percy looked over at him to see that his cheeks had gone pink. As Percy watched him quizzically, he blurted something about needing to clean his broomstick and beat a hasty retreat.

"Huh," Percy said as he watched Oliver disappear through the door.

***

Percy was taking a stroll by the Forbidden Forest, keeping an eye out for Fred and George since it'd been a while since they'd attempted this particular venture and were overdue for another try, when Charlie waved him over to where he was working in Hagrid's garden.

"Percy!" He beamed, raking a hand through his red hair. His face was speckled with dirt and his robes had been cast aside; he looked like he'd been working for a while. "I don't see you outside much."

"Yes, well, it _is_ easier to study inside."

Charlie laughed brightly at that, though Percy wasn't sure what exactly was funny. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you about Wood."

He stiffened, suddenly feeling like he got caught breaking the rules. Charlie never asked him about anyone. "What about Wood?" he pressed cautiously.

"Is he doing okay? You know, being Captain and all. I see him at games, but he's always been more confident on the pitch than off."

Percy relaxed, nothing strange about that question, and mulled over his response. "He doesn't take losing very well," make that he takes it horribly, but Percy figured he'd save some of Oliver's dignity, "but he picks himself up pretty fast. He really likes being captain, though he puts too much on his shoulders. That's why losing's so hard on him, because he takes it too seriously. But I think he's doing really well, for the most part. It's like he _lives_ for quidditch. I would bet his grades are suffering a bit, but since OWLs aren't until next year he should be able to make it up." Percy stopped when he noticed Charlie watching him with an odd expression on his face. Now on the defensive, he frowned at Charlie with a petulant "What?"

But his brother just smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. You guys are good friends?"

 _Friend_ had never crossed Percy's mind. Nuisance, roommate, fellow Gryffindor, maybe study partner, but never friend. His first instinct was to deny it. But maybe that wasn't right. "Ah, well, maybe," he finally settled on, because he still wasn't sure how to answer that.

Charlie hummed, grabbing his shovel from where it had been jammed into the ground. "That's good. I know you really didn't like him first year, but he's a good kid."

Percy scrunched up his nose. "Now you sound like Bill. Also you're barely older than us, you can't call us kids."

He smirked impishly. "If you say so, _Kid_." But he waved Percy off with a friendly smile, turning back to his work and digging up what looked like very large worms.

***

Fred and George had significantly toned down their pranks from last year, partly in thanks to Oliver's rigorous training schedule and nudges towards pranking the other quidditch teams, but that didn't mean they'd completely stopped. This time they had given Peeves a bucket of water to dump over Percy's head. Normally that wouldn't be an issue, Percy would huff and puff at them but cast a quick drying spell and move on with his day. But this time the drying spell didn't work. The twins cackled with Peeves as Percy futilely cast any drying and heating spell he knew but still remained soaked. It wasn't until Percy threatened to tell Mum that they finally admitted they'd put something in it that resisted magical forms of drying, so he'd just have to wait until his cloak and hair dried out on their own. 

After a heavy sigh and halfhearted threat, Percy trudged back to his room, a trail of water following behind him. He changed and hung up his cloak, listening to the drip-drip-drip as it created a puddle next to his bed and pulled out his homework. His hair was still wet and his socks squelched, but doing work usually made him feel better.

But then Oliver showed up and started yammering about his plans for next practice, and Percy was so irritated at the twins and Oliver's endless chatter that he finally snapped. "You know, Wood, if you put as much energy into school as you do quidditch, you could actually be successful."

That shut Oliver up. Percy glanced to the side to see his jaw working and eyes hard.

"Alright," Oliver said, and he stood stiffly. "If that's how you feel."

Percy ignored the swirling, twisting feeling gnawing at his stomach as Oliver stomped out of the dorm. Stupid Oliver. Stupid quidditch.

Stupid Percy. 

He scribbled out the rest of his Divination homework, stewing in anger, trying to drive that last thought from his mind.

***

Percy had been spending more time with Connor this year, now that both Oliver and Flint were quidditch captains. With Bill gone, Connor was the only one who ever sided with Percy anymore. The twins being around didn't help, since they picked on Percy without mercy, but it was more bearable with Oliver distracting them. 

But Percy's mood soured at the thought of Oliver.

Connor, who knew about the fight and likely noticed Percy's glower, said, "You guys are kinda friends right, you and Wood?"

Percy startled, banging his knee against the table. "No," he denied, but the conversation with Charlie had started running through his mind again.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes. "I live with Marcus Flint, I know what it's like to not be friends with someone. Flint's crazy obsessed with quidditch like Wood, but he's kind of a dick. You know, encourages the cheating and stuff. People really only like him 'cause they win matches. Wood's actually a decent guy when you get past the quidditch fanatic part."

Percy, not liking where this was going, raised an eyebrow. "So?"

" _So_ ," he parroted back, "When I got into a fight with Flint last month about leaving quidditch out of the dorm room, I wasn't torn up about it. We're not on speaking terms anymore, and we're both better off. But _you_ can barely focus."

His homework _was_ a bit of a garbled mess. "We're _not_ friends," he protested weakly, "there's too much quidditch in his brain for that." The state of Percy's notes dared to say otherwise, but he shoved that thought aside.

"Fine, but even if you aren't friends, you clearly don't hate him as much as you try to make it seem. Even if you think he caused the fight, fix it so at least you can get your studies back on track. Merlin knows Wood won't do anything except throw himself into quidditch even more, and then it's _your_ grades that'll suffer."

That was the most valid point Percy had heard from anyone who'd approached him about resolving the fight. "Alright." But his stomach started twisting with nerves at the thought.

***

Percy clenched the book to his chest, knuckles white. He took a steadying breath, pulling his head high and counting to five before striding over to Oliver in the corner of the common room. Oliver looked up, but then bent back down to his work as a glare took over his face.

Percy gripped the book tighter, as if that would help anchor his nerves. Merlin's pants, he was a Gryffindor, he could do this. "I want to cash in my favor."

Oliver finally looked up at him, a little skeptical.

And now that Oliver _was_ looking at him, it made it harder to get the next bit out. So Percy squeezed his eyes closed, the edges of the book biting into his fingers. "I want to stop fighting." _I want to be friends again_ , but he couldn't make that go past the lump in his throat. 

"Yeah? And who's fault was it that we started in the first place?"

 _Yours_ , he wanted to say. _Yours, for pushing me over the edge, for not seeing how bothered I was by your constant ranting_. But Percy swallowed it down. It wasn't his fault the twins had teamed up with Peeves again. Oliver hadn't realized he was annoyed. Percy could've told him to stop talking so he could focus on his work instead of saying _that_. Oliver hadn't said anything like _that_. "I didn't mean it," he croaked, finally cracking one eye open to see Oliver. _I'm sorry_ , but that wouldn't come out either.

But Oliver didn't look that upset. "I know," is what he said, and Percy felt the tension unravel from his shoulders. "But you're too stubborn to apologize."

"Like _you_ would apologize," he countered, but his grip on the book loosened and his fingers tingled as feeling rushed back in.

Oliver smiled at him, and Percy felt his cheeks heat up. "That means we're even now." 

And it took a second for Percy to process and remember that he had used his favor. "Uh, yeah." Then he remembered the book and held it out towards Oliver. "You were complaining earlier that someone had checked out the newest edition _Quidditch Through the Ages_ from the library. They just returned it yesterday, so I thought in case the favor thing didn't work that this..." he trailed off as Oliver took the book from him.

"You really didn't want to apologize, did you?"

Percy spluttered, about to deny it, but Oliver was looking fondly at the book so his protests died in his throat.

Oliver raised his gaze back to Percy, and the fond look didn't go away. "You actually listened?"

"Well," he stammered, hands finally free to fidget with his glasses. "Sometimes, maybe."

"If I ever get annoying, just tell me. I can't turn it off, but I can leave you alone or let you cast a silencing charm."

Oliver's smile was so sincere that Percy was sure his face was redder than his hair, so he gave a quick nod and then booked it out of the common room as Oliver's laughter followed behind him. When Percy put his hands to his face, he could feel a smile beneath his hot cheeks.

***

Gryffindor was dead last. They had been dead last the entire season. Oliver had collapsed onto his bed after their last game, looking like a zombie. He had barely moved in two days. His roommates gave him a wide berth, too scared to be the one to face him when did arise.

But it was Monday morning, and despite what Oliver might think, quidditch was not everything. Percy had given him the entire weekend to mope, but he would have to actually go to classes if he wanted to pass them.

Percy stood over Oliver's bed, who was lying face down with a pillow over his head. "C'mon, you gotta get up, Wood," Percy said officially, trying to put as much pomp into his voice as possible in the hopes that annoying Oliver would get him to respond. He absently wondering if Oliver would get him out of bed if Percy failed all of his exams and tried to drown himself in his sheets.

But only a strangled, gurgling moan came from underneath the pillow in response.

Jenson, the last one remaining in the dorm room, gave Percy a panicked look and fled the room.

Percy rolled his eyes, so much for bravery, and turned back to Oliver. "We've got Charms soon, and I'm not going to see you fail the one class you're decent at."

Oliver's arms came up to pull the pillow tighter over his head, along with another moan that sounded suspiciously like "Fuck off Weasley," but since it was muffled by the bed Percy decided to ignore it.

"If you don't get up, I'll levitate you down to class."

That finally got Oliver to roll over and glare at Percy. He looked... well he didn't look good. His face was pale and gaunt, eyes sunken and red-rimmed. His hair was a mess, matted and greasy from having been under a pillow for a few days. "You can't make me," he rasped, voice cracking in the middle.

"No," Percy conceded, "but if you fail everything you'll get kicked out and then you _definitely_ won't win next year."

Oliver paled a little, but didn't look persuaded.

"Look, I'll," Percy grasped at straws, not willing to let Oliver stay shrouded in his bed for the rest of the year, "I'll go to a quidditch match with you next year. Or watch one of yours."

"Really?" Oliver croaked, looking hopeful as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Really," he affirmed, fighting against everything that told him that this was a horrible idea and the twins would be on his case forever and what if they told Charlie.... Before he could finish going down that rabbit hole, Percy added a caveat, "But you have to go to every class for the rest of the year and pass all of your exams with at least one Exceeds Expectations, and you can't come crawling to me because Snape says you're failing again."

"Okay, deal." And despite how shriveled and shrunk he was, Oliver had never looked more invigorated for classes. Though Percy supposed it was motivated by quidditch, so he shouldn't be that surprised.

And maybe Percy was looking forward to quidditch with Oliver a little bit.

***

They were all sitting outside when exam scores came out. Oliver waved his in Percy's face, the EE under Charms standing out amongst all the Acceptables. Percy shoved him in the lake in retaliation, but he couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face as laughter bubbled out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you look close enough, there might be a little bit of foreshadowing here and there ;) . Also a lot in this chapter changed as I wrote it, so fifth year might take a little longer to get out than I originally thought, but it's on its way. Thanks for reading!


	5. Fifth Year: Prefect Percy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: this chapter is a good length, I'll just clean it up a little and post it. Me two days later: has added three new scenes, guess this thing is just going to be closer to 30k words instead of 12k.  
> In other news, I hate love triangles, but I had to do it here. Anyway I hope it's cute even tho it's a little rushed and you know they aren't gonna end up together in the end. But it's gonna end in a satisfying way and not some dumb bs like she's a bitch or I knew you were in love with this other guy all along bc that's lazy and stupid. Thanks for reading!

Percy's steps faltered for a moment. Oliver had filled out over the summer. With how broad his shoulders were, he must've kept up training. Though Percy supposed he wasn't one to talk, considering the amount of school work he had completed over the summer.

"Weasley!" he called in greeting, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "Nice badge." He poked at it on Percy's chest.

Percy batted him off, turning a stern look on Oliver as he straightened. "I'm a Prefect now," he stated, mustering all the authority he could, "so no messing around anymore."

"When have you ever done any messing around?" He grinned.

"I meant you--" but Oliver had already jogged off to Angelina and Katie, probably spouting something about their upcoming quidditch practices.

Percy huffed. At least Fred and George had to listen to him now, though that probably wouldn't help much considering how they acted over the summer. But Percy wouldn't let that ruin his good mood. He was a Prefect, so he finally had some _real_ authority. He would be patrolling the castle, contributing during prefect meetings, keeping all the Gryffindors updated on the password changes. He would get to lead the first years up to the dorm and tell them about classes. Ron would probably be annoyed if he was around too much, but Percy wouldn't let that stop him. He would be the best Prefect Gryffindor had ever seen.

***

Oliver burst into their shared dorm, giddy with excitement and flung himself onto Percy's bed. Percy glanced over, saw him in his quidditch gear, and made a face.

"Wood, get out of my bed."

He just wriggled in more, arms and legs flopping out like a starfish. He lifted his head up, grinning at Percy with a slightly mad glint in his eye. "We've got a seeker!" And then his head dropped back and he laughed a wild, incredulous laugh.

Percy felt his eyebrows go up, a smile quirking at his lips. Oliver had been so mopey about the team last year, and it hadn't improved since tryouts a couple days ago.

"We had a pretty solid team before, but now I think we could actually win this whole thing." Oliver propped himself up on his elbows, and stared hard at at Percy. "You can't tell anyone though, Weasley, you got that?" He jittered around again, falling back to Percy's bed, and raised clenched fists towards the ceiling. "Our first match is against Slytherin so we need the element of surprise." Then he bounced up to his knees. "You'll come right? At least for the first one? You said you'd come to one of my games."

Feeling a little blindsided caught up in the whirlwind of Oliver, Percy stuttered out an "Uh, okay." He supposed he had promised, but he'd about forgotten about it after he'd gotten his Prefect Badge.

"Yes!" Oliver jumped off the bed and punched him in the shoulder. "I knew I'd get you to another game eventually." He cheered once more, spun in a circle, gave one last smile, and then scampered off.

Percy stared after him for a beat, then shook himself. Essay. He needed to write this essay. It still took another minute before he actually got his quill back on the parchment.

***

Percy had heard the rumors that Harry Potter was the new seeker. Oliver had loudly shushed him when he asked, and that pretty much confirmed it. He still didn't quite believe it though, even after he had gone to McGonagall and questioned whether a first year could be on the quidditch team ("It's alright for first years to be seekers, since they stay out of the rougher play with the chasers. Dumbledore approved it. And Mr. Potter was stellar in his first flying lesson so his abilities are not a concern." Percy still thought she was biased as a former quidditch player). But it wasn't until he actually saw his brother's friend walk out onto the pitch that it truly sunk in.

Percy wasn't particularly fond of quidditch, but he knew enough that he could tell that they were good. Oliver stopped just about every goal, and the other players kept outwitting Slytherin. Percy still wasn't a huge fan of watching people push each other around on brooms, so he looked away every time Slytherin pulled a dirty move. 

His heart jumped into his throat when Harry's broom went haywire, and Percy was just about to storm off to McGonagall to tell her this was precisely why first years couldn't play, it didn't matter how badly Oliver wanted to win, but then Harry had remounted his broom and caught the snitch. Any pleas to McGonagall would have to wait, as Percy shuffled out to avoid the cheering crowds and make it back to his room before the celebration started in the common room. He would have to go down eventually, his job as a Prefect was to make sure it didn't get too out of hand, but he could enjoy the quiet for now. And maybe draft a few ways to keep the Savior of the Wizarding World from dying in a school quidditch game.

Oliver and one of the other boys came in not long after, cheering "Weasley!" as one. "We won!"

"I know," he replied, looking up from his work. "I was there."

Oliver shook Thomas in his excitement. "I told you he would come."

Thomas laughed and thumped Oliver on the head in return. They grabbed something before heading back out, laughing and chatting, and Percy felt his gut twist a little bit. Sometimes he envied that easy camaraderie the other boys in their year had. They got along without trying, never second-guessing themselves. Sometimes Percy wondered if he truly belonged in Gryffindor as they did, but then he reminded himself he had to be pretty brave and stubborn to put up with them for four years already.

***

Percy was always one of the first ones down to breakfast, but he woke up even earlier this year because now he was a Prefect and had even more duties to perform. He was a little surprised when he was joined by Oliver not long after, but given the state of the quidditch team last year, Oliver probably wanted that extra push in the morning to get things going.

Percy was setting up his schedule for the year, and Oliver acknowledged him with a grunt as he sat down across from him and stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth. Percy was a little worried Oliver might try to strike up a conversation about quidditch practice (it would be more awkward to leave mid-breakfast than when Oliver cornered him in their room), but instead he just pulled out some parchment and started drawing out the circles and arrows Percy was now familiar with as quidditch notes.

Eventually the other Gryffindors joined the table, and as Oliver struck up a laughing conversation with them, Percy packed up his things and headed off to talk to McGonagall before his first class of the morning.

This silent companionship with Oliver continued every morning after that, always ending with the other Gryffindors breaking out into chatter or Percy leaving to talk to professors or other prefects before class. Percy had never really spent time with Oliver when he wasn't raving about quidditch or complaining about studies, but it felt like they had finally reached a neutral ground with their peaceful breakfasts.

Then one morning Oliver broke the silence. "It's a little weird not being able to go to the third floor corridor, right?"

Percy was a little miffed at having been spoken to. He was happy with continuing their silent breakfasts, found himself actually looking forward to them, but when he glanced up Oliver didn't have quidditch material spread before him and instead had half a smile on his face. Percy paused in his rebuke, a little thrown off, and rethought what he was going to say. "Yes," he finally settled on, "usually the prefect meetings are in that corridor so it feels a little odd to not be going there. Sometimes the sixth and seventh years forget and show up late."

Oliver laughed at that, eyes bright, and Percy struggled to keep his face neutral. "It can't be _that_ weird for you. This is your first year as prefect so how can you even imagine it in that corridor?"

Percy sniffed and pretended to return to his textbook as he responded. "Second year I would always follow Bill around to the meetings, so when I dreamed about being a Prefect, that's what I imagined." He randomly underlined something as if to prove his point.

"I always followed the quidditch team around first year, so I guess that makes us even."

"You actually joined some of their practices, though, I just waited outside for Bill to be done so I could follow him around more."

"How'd you know I was at practices first year? You always had silencing charms when I was talking about quidditch."

Percy felt his cheeks turning red, so he drove his quill harder into the words on the page. "Charlie would talk about you."

"What would he say about me?"

When Percy glanced up, he saw unbridled joy on Oliver's face, so he had to look away again. Oliver had to know he wasn't reading at this point, but Percy didn't care. His cheeks got even redder as mumbled out, "That you were a little bit of a wildcard, but driven and had good amount of talent, so he wouldn't be surprised if you went pro one day."

"Shit, can't believe I got that complement from _Charlie Weasley_."

Percy raised a skeptical eyebrow, so Oliver plowed on.

"Best seeker Gryffindor had seen in years said I would go pro when I was a _first_ year. He didn't talk about anybody else on the team like that." Then Oliver turned a little sheepish. "Also I had a bit of a crush on him second year."

"You had a crush on my brother?" Percy couldn't believe it. He gave up all pretense of reading to gape at Oliver.

"Well when you say it like that, it sounds weird. He's a brilliant quidditch player, a pretty attractive bloke, and a brilliant quidditch player. I don't know what you expected."

"But it's my _brother_. He's like five years older than us."

"It's only three. And I was mostly just star struck."

"I can't believe--Charlie, really?"

"Shove off, Weasley." But Oliver was laughing, so Percy let himself smile.

***

Since Oliver finally had a good quidditch team this year, the twins were occupied by him. Ron was friends with Harry Potter, so Percy wasn't worried about him. And that meant he could focus more on studying this year, which was very important since OWLs were coming up. He spent several hours every day in the library, doing homework and reviewing all of his notes.

Sometimes he would tutor the younger students, but they didn't always agree with his uptight strictness, so he would pass them on to one of the other prefects, Penelope Clearwater. She would hide a smile every time he stopped in front of her with a student in tow and his head hung low. But she took them all, and traded a few students back to him if she thought they would benefit from a more rigid structure.

Then one day she sat down at his table when he was alone. "Can I study with you? I promise I won't be a distraction."

Percy had been so startled he'd blurted out a yes, and then ducked his head back into his textbook with a blush staining his cheeks. He hadn't failed to notice she was pretty, he just hadn't really thought about it until now. He already knew she was smart, so that didn't intimidate him at all, but she was pretty and that was new.

She ended up being a little bit of a distraction, but Percy supposed it was a good one.

***

Breakfast with Oliver was surprisingly nice. When Percy brought a large stack of parchment to the table with him, Oliver would stay quiet. Or at least mostly quiet, sometimes he'd mumbled to himself as he scribbled out quidditch plans. But he let Percy talk about his study schedule and homework progress without mocking him. So Percy relented when Oliver went off on quidditch tangents and only sometimes tried to reel him back in for normal-people conversation.

Studying with Penelope was also nice. She wasn't afraid to point out when he was wrong, and took it in stride when he caught her mistakes. She loved gaining knowledge, delighting in rambling to him about her new findings. She didn't make fun of him when he told her his plan to join the Ministry after school. After studying, they would take their prefect rounds together. Then she'd walk him to Gryffindor tower, since it was only a little out of the way back to Ravenclaw.

"You know you don't need to walk me back every time, I can make it on my own."

She blushed crimson, but didn't look away. "I like spending time with you."

Percy's face quickly matched hers. He shuffled his feet and mumbled, "I like spending time with you, too."

"So it's alright if I keep walking you back?"

"Yeah."

She smiled, and his heart stuttered in his chest. "Cool."

***

"Hey, Weasley."

"You know one of these days, we'll all respond and then you'll have to deal with that disaster."

"Percy, then."

And that was weird. Percy felt his stomach swoosh and heat swarm to his cheeks. He pushed his glasses up his nose to hide it, and said hastily, "I'm going to the library."

But Oliver jumped in front of him, arms waving wildly. "Wait! Don't go yet."

So Percy paused, raised an eyebrow. He was sure his cheeks were still a little pink, but Oliver looked like he was floundering around too much to notice.

"Um," Oliver ran a hand through his hair and Percy felt his stomach take flight again. "I need help with potions?"

Percy ignored whatever his stomach was doing and remained stoic. "That sounded like a question."

"Okay, I really need help with potions." Oliver finally looked Percy in the eye with a sheepish grin. "With OWLSs coming up, I can't really afford to fail. McGonagall usually lets me slip through with Transfiguration since I spend a lot of time on quidditch, but Snape is a little more strict."

Percy had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. "Okay. We can meet in the library later." He'd started studying for OWLs last month with Penny, but it would be good to review a little more.

Oliver broke out into a bright grin. "Thanks, Percy!" and with that, he rushed off.

Percy touched the backs of his hands to his cheeks; they were still warm. He shook himself, shouldered his book bag, and marched off to the library leaving all thoughts of Oliver Wood behind.

***

Percy knew Ron hated it when he butt into his life, but this was surely an exception. News had spread fast that Harry Potter had chased down Quirrell and stopped him from stealing whatever had been locked up in the third floor corridor. They also said Ron Weasley had gone with him, that they'd barely gotten out alive.

Percy all but ran to the hospital wing, pushing past the crowd of people collecting at the entrance as they tried to get a peek inside. "Move aside, I'm a _Prefect_. Back to your rooms."

Madame Pomfrey must've seen his red hair above the crowd, as she did her best to shoo everyone else away and let him in. "Your brother's fine, Mr. Weasley. A little banged up, but in one piece."

"Can I see him?" He had to make sure. Mum would kill him if he let something happen to Ron in his first year at Hogwarts.

"Of course."

Ron was sitting up in bed, looking cheery. The bushy haired girl was sitting nearby, fretting over him. Harry Potter lay unconscious a bed down. Ron groaned when he saw Percy. 

"I'm fine," he whined. "You didn't have to come see me at the bloody hospital wing."

"Well would have you rather have me head Mum off by telling her you're okay, or let her smother you as soon as you get off the train?"

"Ugh, fine. But you leave out the giant chess set bit."

"Giant chess set?

Ron turned pink while Hermione glowed next to him. "He beat McGonagall's giant chess set!" she piped.

"You--what?" Percy had played chess against McGonagall once. He'd lost horribly and couldn't look her in the eyes for a week.

"Shut it, 'Mione," Ron grumbled, flailing about as he struggled to cover her mouth his hands.

She dodged around him. "I had to drag him out of there after Harry went on. He sacrificed himself so we could win! Harry never would've stopped Quirrel without him."

"Hermione!"

But Percy's mind was reeling. Sacrificed? And _why_ was there a giant chess set? So Percy focused on the part he understood. "You won?"

His brother's face became a ruddy red and Hermione beamed.

Percy's heart swelled with pride. "Well, good. I'll write Mum and tell her you had a small incident, but you're fine and everything's been cleared up."

"Thanks, Perce."

"Now, never break the rules again. I'm a Prefect you know, so I'll dock points."

"What!?"

***

At the end of the year, Penelope kissed him. Percy was stunned for a moment, and pulled away with a half-formed question on his lips.

"I think you're devoted," she had answered before any words could escape his mouth. "I enjoy working with you, and you're not afraid to have serious conversations. So I like you. And I hope you like me too."

"Oh." He hadn't considered it much, but she challenged him in good ways and could make him smile like nobody else could. So he kissed her again. When she smiled back at him, it felt like his world was lighting up.

***

Percy burst into the dorm room, where the other boys were packing up their things. "I've got a girlfriend," he blurted, having no idea who else to tell.

Jenson rounded on him with a shout. "How'd Weasley get a girlfriend before any of us?"

"Who is it?" Thomas pressed.

"Penelope Clearwater." Percy was still a little in awe that someone liked _him_ enough to kiss him. 

"That Ravenclaw prefect? She's wicked smart."

"No wonder she likes him, they probably just kiss through their brains."

"Hey," Percy protested, "she _did_ kiss me. On the lips."

They broke out into a ruckus after that, cheering and jostling Percy and he finally understood the wild craziness a little better. But he never wanted to be part of it again. "You can't tell anybody, though," he cut in after letting them run wild for a while, "Fred and George would have a fit." He waited until they all swore secrecy before stepping back into the role of Prefect and corralling them into finishing packing. Though every couple of minutes Jenson would bluster out something about getting a girlfriend and Percy would have to rein him back in before they could get stuck in the middle stages of packing forever.

It wasn't until they'd all trundled out with their trunks that Percy realized Oliver Wood had been unusually quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oliver totally would've made a move if Penelope hadn't snaked him first.   
> Anyway I keep searching Tumblr for Percy/Oliver content but I've basically been through it all, and am thus running low on inspiration, so years 7 and on may take a little longer to churn out. But you may have noticed I updated the chapter naming convention, so I'm hoping that gives me better direction and ideas as I continue.


	6. Sixth Year: Penelope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I was mostly done with this chapter, but then I kept editing and rearranging so I'm deciding to just upload now or else I'll edit forever. Anyway being in quarantine really gives a different spin to this whole thing. We've got a dangerous contagious disease spreading, and schools send everyone home, and lots of schools change their grading systems. Hogwarts has a deadly monster on the loose, and they keep everyone locked up with it and still expect them to take exams. Yo I wouldn't want to take exams either, those students would fuckin' riot, and parents would be fighting to get their kids back home. Also no one would want to go back for an eighth year, they'd just want to be done. Talking to people who are gonna be seniors next year and whether or not they'd take the year off if everything was still virtual, and most are like nah I'm just gonna this shit done and so anyway stay home so I can go back to school thanks

Percy's sixth year was characterized by Penelope. They wrote each other every day over the summer. Percy told her about his OWLs results instead of talking to his family about it because she wouldn't make fun of him for it. She wrote back about hers because her muggle family didn't really understand what it meant. He would complain about Fred and George and she would tell him he should treat his siblings better. She would mention her struggles of uniting the magical and muggle worlds, and Percy would assure her that things were much better now that You-Know-Who was gone and it would get easier once she was of age. They talked to each other about anything and everything. Once they got to school, they would study together, talk about their prefect duties together, sneak around together. Percy never broke the rules, but with Penelope it was fun. If Fred and George found out about any of it, Percy would never hear the end of it, but he would enjoy their secret haven for a while longer.

Then the attacks started.

They started spending hours in the library, quietly debating how to handle the situation (both closing Hogwarts or waiting it out could be problematic) and what the monster could be (lots of things could petrify, given the right circumstances). Penny mentioned some creatures a little blonde first year had been speculating about, but Percy dismissed them all as unsubstantiated myths. Then they would leave the library to take their prefect rounds together, and still occasionally slip in a make out session between shifts.

Ginny caught them once, and Percy was _mortified_. Penelope's hands had been up his shirt when he'd heard a little squeak at the door and turned to see Ginny. He'd sworn her to secrecy, but his face had been bright red and the words hadn't all come out right, so he'd made sure to keep a closer eye on her for the next couple weeks so she wouldn't tell their brothers. Penelope had laughed about it, which made him feel better, but he did have to stop Ginny from spilling it to Ron and Harry once. Not to mention that if McGonagall found out they were shirking some of their duties to do _that_ in empty classrooms, Percy would never make Head Boy.

Watching Ginny made him worry about her, though. She looked a little peckish, and had caught that nasty cold going around at the beginning of the year. She didn't seem to have too many friends, either, mostly keeping to herself. But Percy knew she didn't want his help, wanted to be able to conquer everything without her brothers, so he let her be.

***

Percy and Penelope were scheduled to take rounds right after the prefect meeting. But then McGonagall excused muggle-born prefects from night patrols if they didn't feel safe, and that just about confirmed that the attacks were targeted. Percy made his way through the whispering crowd to Penny.

"Are you going to keep doing it?" he asked her quietly.

"Of course," she flashed him a grin, but it was tinged with a worry Percy hadn't seen before. "If I get attacked, at least I'll know what it is."

"You're such a Ravenclaw."

"You're such a Gryffindor," she shot back, but some of the worry was gone.

Percy's wasn't.

***

Fred and George started making a joke of the whole thing, and that made Ginny worse. She shrieked at them when they paraded Harry around as the Heir. Once, Percy caught her in the common room late at night, crying because the twins had gotten more outlandish than usual. Percy managed to tell them off, but it took a few too many tries for him to be satisfied. That just made him snap at them more because he was so rankled. This was serious, could they not grasp the severity of the situation? Were they too pigheaded to understand?

On top of all that, Percy kept finding Ron and his friends popping up where Mrs. Norris had been petrified. It was almost like they _wanted_ everyone to think they'd done it. Percy felt like his family was out of control while he was constantly trying to rein them back in. And as soon as he turned his back, they would just take flight again to whatever new insanity they had latched on to. If he didn't have Penny to escape to, Percy wasn't sure he'd make it through the year with his family intact. 

***

Then one day Penelope didn't shown up to her patrol shift with him. He waited by McGonagall's office for her, as usual, but then she was five minutes late, ten, fifteen, and he knew something was wrong. He started pacing. They'd had a study date only a couple hours ago. She'd stayed behind in the library to help a couple first years while Percy had gone to shepherd students between classes. He should've stayed with her.

Twenty minutes after their patrol was supposed to start, McGonagall returned to her office. Percy started to ask a question, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"I think you should take a stop by the hospital wing."

Percy could hear his heart pounding in his ears, all the way down to his fingertips. "Do I still need to patrol?" he heard himself ask.

"No, that's alright, I'll handle it."

So he nodded jerkily and made his way to the hospital wing. Penelope was there, frozen stiff on one of the beds. She looked a little blue, and he absentmindedly wondered if whatever petrified her had shocked the breath from her lungs. Percy gripped her hand, not as cold as he expected.

He didn't stay long, but the tear tracks on his face did.

***

When Percy got back to the dorm, Oliver was brooding at his desk, angrily flicking at little paper figures flying on twigs around his head. He didn't look up when Percy walked in, just grumbled out, "Quidditch's cancelled."

"I don't know why they didn't do it earlier," Percy retorted, voice still crackly from crying. He cleared his throat and scrubbed at his face, hoping to erase any evidence.

Oliver must've noticed anyway, as he softened a bit. "Do you know who was attacked?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," he choked out, then threw himself on his bed and snapped the curtains shut. He sat crunched up against the headboard, face pressed to his knees.

"I'm sorry, Percy," he heard Oliver call out a little uncertainly. Percy wanted to throw something at him, but he fisted his hands in his pant legs instead.

"I know quidditch is the last thing I should be getting worked up about, but there's nothing else I can do. So sorry if I seem insensitive, I just..."

Percy lifted his head from his knees in the silence. "It was Penny." He waited with baited breath, listening to Oliver breathing heavily through his nose.

"Shit, sorry. That sucks."

Percy couldn't help snorting at the absurdity of it all. This whole thing sucked. But he was a Prefect, and he had his duties. He would give himself this one day to fall apart, and then he'd pull himself back together.

***

Percy woke up to Professor McGonagall standing over him. "I need you to come with me, Mr. Weasley. Get dressed." She waited for him by the door while he shucked on a robe over his pajamas. As he was putting on his shoes, he happened to glance over to Oliver's bed. He was awake, and they locked eyes for a moment, but McGonagall wouldn't have come into their room if it wasn't serious, so Percy finished putting his shoes on without acknowledging Oliver and followed her out the door.

They stopped in an empty common room. She turned to face him, face hard but eyes concerned. Her pursed lips were twisted in the tightest line Percy had every seen. "There's been an incident," she started. She paused, gauging his reaction, before pushing through the rest, "Someone's been taken into the Chamber. Lockhart claims to be handling the situation, but as none of the rest of us trust him to succeed, we're thinking up alternate solutions. The Head Girl and Boy are writing letters to the Minister and several other Ministry Officials, and I would like you to as well."

Percy nodded. The more people who wrote letters, the more pressed the Ministry would be to take action, even at this time of morning. McGonagall passed him a parchment with several names on it. 

"Urge them to send help, send Dumbledore back, anything. I'll be writing letters of my own. I trust your judgement. But you should know, the girl who's been taken, it's your sister. Ginny."

Percy felt his stomach bottom out. "No." Not Ginny, nothing was supposed to happen to her. "She's -- we're purebloods."

Her eyes cast down for a moment before looking at him with fire in her eyes. "I promise you we're doing everything we can. Severus suspects possession, that she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But write your mother first, the rest can wait. I've set our fastest owls to wait at the window. All the professors are working toward finding her. When I left, Filius had an idea for how we might find the Chamber. We don't know what condition she's in. But the message on the wall... we are doing our best, Mr. Weasley. I must return to the others, but write fast and write hard. Do not let anyone leave the dormitory until we've sorted everything out. And don't tell them what's happened yet, we don't need panicked students until we've grasped the situation." 

He clenched his hands into fists, only noticing just now that they were shaking. "Yes, Professor."

"The mandrake draught will be ready later today, and once we've revived the petrified students in the hospital wing, we'll be sending everyone home. We've been doing our best to keep the school open, but I'm afraid that won't continue. I'll keep you updated with our progress on finding your sister." Anguish cut across her face for a moment before it hardened again. Then she swept from the room.

Percy fell into the closest chair. Mum, he had to write Mum. So he grabbed the quill and parchment McGonagall had left behind, took a steadying breath, and wrote. It took him a couple of tries to get it right, a pile of crumpled parchment growing at his feet, but he sent the letter off and started on the next one.

Percy was finishing up his eighth letter when he heard the first person coming down the boys' stairs. "No one is permitted to leave the dormitory," he said without looking up.

"Have you been writing this entire time?"

Percy's head snapped up at that. Oliver. Percy nodded, swallowed, started to feel his hand cramp up as reality came creeping back to him, so he wrote the last couple sentences on the letter and went to the window to send it off. The owl took it and sped away.

"Everything okay?" Oliver sounded hesitant, almost pausing between each syllable to draw the question out longer, or maybe just delay the answer.

Percy's hands had started shaking again, so he clenched them into his robe. His wrist hurt from writing for so long and his legs felt weak. Was the room spinning a little bit? "It--" he tried searching for the words McGonagall had used knowing he wouldn't be able to find any for himself, "There was an incident. I can't--" He couldn't say anything. He couldn't breathe.

"Woah, hey there. Percy?" And Oliver was in front of him, one hand on his elbow, and Percy realized he was on the floor. When did he get to the floor? Oliver must've jumped over one of the chairs to reach him.

"I'm okay." He had to write those letters. The Ministry had to come to save Ginny. He planted his hands on the ground to push himself up, but he only ended up tipping over more and barely managed to scrabble on to Oliver to stay upright. Oliver helped him to his feet, but the world was still moving too fast and everything was a little blurry so Percy didn't let go, just held on to his arms tighter.

He said something, but Percy didn't really hear it so he nodded and let Oliver guide him somewhere. Percy ended up in an armchair, still hanging on to one of Oliver's arms as he stood in front of him. Percy let his head tip back on the couch as he felt the blood return to his head, pounding. He cracked his eyes open to look at Oliver when he started talking, but his head was turned to somewhere else in the common room, so Percy closed his eyes again and let Oliver's voice wash over him.

"Weasley? Hey, Percy, you still there?"

Percy was brought crashing down to the present at Oliver's words. His head lolled back upright and he opened his eyes to see Oliver hovering close, face clouded in concern. "Still there," he mumbled, though he didn't really want to be. "I need to write more letters."

"You look like you're about to pass out, you're not writing any more letters right now."

Percy _felt_ like he was about to pass out, but "It's really important." He felt some of his energy come back as he thought about it. McGonagall had given him a job, and he needed to do it.

"If it's that important, I'll write it for you, just tell me what to say." Oliver dragged a low table over and sat on the ground at Percy's feet, back against Percy's chair.

"No. Too important for you to know about. Also, your handwriting's really bad, so I'm not letting you write to Ministry Officials under my name." He bumped his leg against Oliver's shoulder to signify the joke, not sure if it came across with how weary he was. But then it felt nice to be touching Oliver, so he just left his leg there.

"Very funny, Percy." He rested his head against Percy's knee, and Percy liked that even better so he stayed where he was and didn't write any more letters. There were only a couple names left, so hopefully the Ministry was sending help by now. Percy's nerves felt so frayed anyway, he wasn't sure he'd be able to form a coherent thought.

Slowly more people started trickling down the staircases, and Percy relayed the order to not leave. Some went back up to their rooms, but the rest clustered into groups talking quietly amongst themselves. Oliver started drawing quidditch plays on the spare parchment.

Then Fred and George came down the stairs. Percy seized up, legs locking, felt the nervous twitchiness settle back in. He stood, squeezed his fists tight and made his way over. He could feel Oliver's eyes on him as he pulled the twins to the side.

"So what's up Head Boy? Why's everyone stuck in the common room?"

"It's Ginny. She--" Percy couldn't manage to get the words out, but Fred and George had gone stark white.

"What's happened to Ginny."

"She's been taken into the Chamber. She--they don't know what's happening to her. That's why we're keeping everyone here." And then a flash of panic struck Percy, "Where's Ron?"

"You don't think--"

"He went after her?"

Percy gripped his robes to stop his hands from shaking. He was a Prefect, he needed to keep a level head. "Check his room. See if he and Harry are there. I'll ask the other second year boys."

Neville, Dean, and Seamus hadn't seen them this morning. Fred and George returned with a shake of their heads. 

Oliver was up the earliest, had seen everyone come down, so Percy stopped in front of him. "Have you seen Ron or Harry at all?" he tried to keep his voice from shaking, but he wasn't sure it worked. He couldn't lose more of his family now.

"No. Are they not in their rooms?"

Percy shook his head. Two boys were loose in the castle, and nobody knew. "I need to go find McGonagall."

Oliver stood up and blocked his path. "Percy, what's going on?"

"I can't--" and shit, his hands were shaking again. He balled them into fists so tight he could feel his stubby nails biting into his palm. "Ginny's--" he took a deep shuddering breath as spots danced before his eyes. "I need to tell McGonagall Harry and Ron are missing." Percy started for the door, but Oliver stopped him with a hand gripping his arm.

"I'm going with you."

"You don't--"

Oliver cut him off, "No arguing. Do you know how many times I've seen you almost pass out this morning? You've already collapsed once, I'm not letting that happen in the middle of a corridor with a petrifying monster on the loose."

"He's right, Perce." Percy couldn't tell which twin had said it, but they were both looking at with concern.

"Take Oliver or we're not letting you leave." They hadn't looked at him like that in years.

"Okay, fine." Percy left the other prefects to keep everyone inside, the twins not keeping their eyes off him until he disappeared through the portrait hole, and then headed for McGonagall's office with Oliver at his shoulder. Every step felt like a marathon, knowing every second that Harry and Ron or his sister could be....

But then there she was, just outside McGonagall's office, gripping their mother tight with Harry and Ron in tow. Percy fell into Oliver as his legs gave out in relief. Oliver held him upright and Percy pressed his face to the crook of his neck. They were all okay.

"Mr. Wood, Mr. Weasley." McGonagall. 

Oliver's grip on his waist tightened as Percy pulled his head out to look at her.

"Your sister's safe." And just hearing it made it more real and relief hit him like an ocean and he would've buckled again if it weren't for Oliver keeping him steady. McGonagall must have seen it in his face because she let half a smile flicker across her face. "The Chamber of Secrets has been closed. The Ministry has released Albus, so he will debrief you and the Head Girl and Boy later. I'm sending your sister home with your mother for the weekend to recover, but Hogwarts will not close. Mr. Wood, if you would be so kind as to return to the dormitory and free everyone to the Great Hall, and I'm sure Mr. Weasley would like a moment with his family." With that, she gave them a nod and walked off.

"You okay to stand?" Oliver said, and Percy could feel his voice rumbling through his body so he extracted himself as heat rose to his cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm okay now."

"You'd better come find me later to let me know my seeker's okay."

Percy's lips quirked up. "Alright, Quidditch Brain."

Oliver saluted him with a grin and walked off. Percy turned back to his family, where Mum beckoned him over with a watery smile. He ran to meet them, bending down to squeeze her and Ginny in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay." His mind started to flash though everything Ginny had done this year, what he should've noticed as a warning sign, but he shoved that to side for now. It didn't matter what he could've done, all that mattered was she was safe.

Percy turned on Ron, reprimanding him with a weak, "What did I tell you about breaking the rules again?" Ron gave a sheepish smile in response, and Dumbledore pulled Harry away before he could back Ron up.

Ginny looked tired, but there was a spark there that had been missing all year. She took a hold of Percy's hand and gripped it tight, her other hand still on Mum. His sister tugged him down and whispered in his ear, "Everyone's okay, right?"

"Of course," he murmured back. "Even the mandrakes are almost ready."

When she smiled, the last bit of tension trickled out of him so he could actually smile back.

***

Percy met up with Penelope before the end of the year. He had needed a couple days to process his thoughts, double check that yes, everyone was okay. He didn't want to confront her after she was just revived, but now he knew what he needed to say. "I can't be in a relationship right now."

She took a moment to respond, blinking. She had a funny quirk to her lips, part amusement, part mocking, part something else. "You're saying it's not me, it's you?" 

That maybe wasn't quite what we was going for. "After everything that happened this year with Ginny.... I blame this and myself too much and that wouldn't be fair to you. I need some time to focus on my family. I noticed something was off with her, but I didn't--"

They twisted expression disappeared as Penelope reached out and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "I understand." And now he could see that in her face instead.

"I still like you, so maybe... maybe we can pick things up later, but right now I can't think about us. My family has to come first."

She nodded, a soft smile on her face. "I'm not going to wait for you, though. If it's the right time and we get back together, then we do, but I don't owe it to you to wait for you."

"I understand."

She swept him up in a final hug, kissed his cheek. "See you next year, Head Boy."

Percy blushed at that. "It's not confirmed yet."

"But it's not going to be anybody else." And with that she smiled, and they parted ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was kind of a roller coaster, but hope you enjoyed the chapter and didn't think the breakup was dumb! Thanks for keeping me motivated to do this with your kudos/comments, because I'm barely getting any real work done, and I feel more productive writing this than watching tv all day.


	7. Seventh Year: Ron & Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so much easier to write chapters that are built around the book. I was really pulling shit out of my ass for years 2-4, but now I gotta pick and choose how much I wanna actually stick to real events. Though now I kinda like the earlier chapter better than these ones. Either way I'm probably gonna look back on this in a couple months/years and cringe because that's how it always goes with my writing. Thanks for always making my day with your comments and kudos!

Summer had been miserable, to say the least. Percy kept hearing McGonagall's knock on the door every time he tried to fall asleep. He would get up every couple of hours to peek into Ginny's room to make sure she was still there. One time she wasn't, and he felt his heart fall somewhere in his gut. When he'd taken a sweep around her room but still not seen her, the panic crawled at his throat and he was about ready to rip the house apart. But then she stumbled in through the door, a haunted look on her face and a cup of water in her hand. Percy clutched a hand over his pounding heart, willing it to calm down because she was here, she was safe. Her eyes were blown wide, her knuckles white on the cup.

"I--" he started, not really sure how to continue. I thought you were gone, I'm glad you're okay, I was so worried, I'm sorry. He struggled with the words for a moment, and she padded further into the room. "Nightmares?" he finally settled on.

She nodded, red hair dancing like fire in the moonlight. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Yeah, come on." Percy took her hand and pulled her to his room.

They made it a habit for a couple nights, until Fred and George found out and made a fuss about her going to _stuffy Percy_. After that, she slept in their room. Percy felt a little jilted, but ultimately two sets of eyes were better than one, so he let her go and only peeked through their door every once in a while.

Percy didn't write anyone that summer. He had almost written Oliver once, had even taken out a parchment and quill, but couldn't think of anything to write about except quidditch and the horrors of last year, so he put it away. They spent most of the summer in Egypt anyway. Bill toured them around, and Charlie asked them about the quidditch team. He and Bill would glance at Percy every time Oliver was brought up, but he stoutly ignored them. It was almost enough of a distraction from last year, especially when Fred and George tried to trap him in a pyramid. But Ginny had laughed, so he didn't chase them around as much as he usually would.

He would do better this year, though. He was Head Boy and proud of it, no matter what Fred and George said. Mum had told him to keep an eye on Harry, so Percy would. It wouldn't be like last year. There would be no Penelope to distract him, Oliver would be focusing only on winning the quidditch cup, and Percy would be ready this time. He'd make sure of it.

***

Penelope was still his friend, and a prefect, and he still liked her, so when he saw her on the platform, he strode over to show off his new badge. She greeted him with a couple I told you so's, and they boarded the train together.

Percy was living his role as Head Boy. Being in charge of the prefects gave him a drive and sense of duty he'd only felt before when studying for OWLs. And when he'd started studying for NEWTs at the end of the summer. Dumbledore had sent him an additional owl the day before detailing the increase in security with Sirius Black on the loose. Percy was in the middle of relaying this information to the prefects when the train shuddered to a stop.

Penelope had gone pale, so Percy grabbed her hand as McGonagall came into their train car. "Dementors are here early. Start patrols now and make sure all the students are okay and let them know there are dementors on the train. We were supposed to have time for this, but apparently the Ministry did not think it necessary."

The prefects scattered down the train, opening compartment doors and uttering a few words before moving on. But Percy hung back. "Professor?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"My mother said I should keep watch over Harry."

"Your mother is a smart woman. I would strongly encourage that."

"Yes, Professor." Percy would not let anything happen, not this year.

That would mean going to every quidditch game, though. Hopefully Oliver and the twins wouldn't get too worked up about it.

***

"You were at the game."

Percy glanced up from his work, miffed. "Yes, and?" He knew he sounded a little snooty, but he did have to sit through an entire quidditch game when he had other work to be doing. Being Head Boy came with endless responsibilities. But ultimately, it was a good thing he'd gone. Harry had _actually_ fallen off his broom this time, and no one would've mentioned that bit to him even though he was Head Boy and this was the kind of thing he should know about. Percy would need to talk to Dumbledore about keeping the dementors away from the pitch if they didn't want to cancel quidditch again. He may be a brilliant wizard, but it appeared that some safety considerations weren't always at the forefront of his mind.

"You've never gone to a game on your own," Oliver's words were subdued, but it pulled Percy's mind from wandering to how the dementors should be handled. "Did someone ask you to go with them?"

"Ah, no," Percy replied, not wanting Oliver to think that he would go to a game with someone else. He'd only been implicitly asked anyway, by Mum when she told him to keep an eye on Harry. Percy ignored the funny feeling in his stomach that told him Oliver probably wasn't asking for that reason.

"Oh." Oliver drifted over to his bed, standing over it as if contemplating the best way to get lost in the sheets. He looked a little bit like a drowned rat, with his hair wet and matted to his face. It _had_ been a while since the match ended, even Harry was out of the hospital wing. Oliver probably should've come back to the room hours ago.

Percy watched him for a moment longer. "You're not," he started, hesitating when Oliver looked back over at him with dull eyes. Percy shook himself and pushed through, "You're not going to spend another three days trying to meld with the bed are you? I was already going to go to all the games this year, so I can't offer-- that's not.... You know it's only the first game, so you can still..." He grappled with his words, but he couldn't figure out how to get out what he wanted to say.

"You're going to all the games?"

Percy paused in his floundering, only to continue floundering more. "Uh, yeah, I mean, only Gryffindor's. And just because I feel like it. Since I'm Head Boy, and all." _I'm not going so I can watch you play_ , but maybe that wasn't entirely true. He pushed his glasses back up his nose.

Oliver still looked a little worse for wear, but he was smiling, just the tiniest bit. "We'll win the next one."

They did.

***

"Are you and Penny alright?"

The question shocked Percy from his work at breakfast, knee jerking up to bang the table as his head whipped up to stare at Oliver. "What?"

Olive scratched the back of his head, awkward. "Well, you guys spent a lot of time together last year, you know? And this year you've been distant. So, I just wanted to make sure you're okay, and all."

"Oh." Oliver hadn't cared that much about his relationship last year, though the other boys had bugged him about it. So this was... unexpectedly thoughtful of him. Percy felt warmth curling around in his chest at the thought. "We're fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Since we broke up, it kinda makes sense that we're spending time apart, right?"

"You broke up? When...?"

"End of last year. I thought you knew?" Percy was pretty sure he had mentioned it to Oliver in passing, but with everything with Ginny, and their trip to Egypt, and now Sirius Black, he must've been thinking about somebody else.

"No. Well, uh, I'm sorry."

Percy shook his head. "It's fine. After everything that happened last year," he waved his hand around vaguely, trying to ignore the tightness in his throat, "different priorities in the end, I guess."

"You're okay, though?"

"Yep. Not even close to how you get after losing a match." 

"Hey!" And as Oliver broke out into a rant about how his moping was completely justified, Percy couldn't help but smile and be swept away by his friend's passion for a sport that maybe wasn't as dumb as he'd like to think.

***

After that, Oliver started spending more time with him. He would talk to Percy at breakfast, find him in the library to study together, roll around on his bed to chatter about quidditch while Percy fired back about studies. Percy found himself enjoying it more than their silent breakfasts fifth year, barely ever thinking about casting a silencing charm. He almost thought it was more fun than spending time with Penelope, but he banished that thought as soon as it flickered into existence. He really only hung out with Penny at the library, but Oliver would talk to him just about anywhere.

Oliver dropped into the chair across from Percy's at the library, startling him from his thoughts. "You're coming to our next game, right?"

"Yes, I already told you I'm going to all of them." He lifted his head out of his book, pushing his glasses up his nose as he looked across the table at Oliver. "And I don't skip on prior commitments."

"Yeah, yeah," Oliver waved his hand in dismissal, then blanched. "Oh, shit. I was supposed to talk to McGonagall at lunch."

"Yup."

"Why didn't you remind me?"

Percy raised on eyebrow. "I'm not your personal scheduler."

"But you'll remind me after the fact."

"You came here just to ask me if I'm going to quidditch game I _already_ told you I was going to."

Madame Pince swooped in, her lips pinched tight. "Quiet," she reprimanded in a harsh whisper.

Percy flushed, flinching with a nod. Oliver grinned cockily, so Percy glared at him.

"If I get kicked out the library," Percy whispered, "it'll be entirely your fault."

"Yessir," Oliver whispered back, still grinning. Then he leaned forward, hands splaying across the table. "You're going to McGonagall's office later today, right? To do you little magic talks." He was still whispering.

"It's debating about the finer elements of magical study, but yes."

"Take me with you so she won't be as mad at me."

Percy blinked, startled into leaning back. "What?"

"She won't be as mad at me if she sees that her two favorite students came to see her."

Percy narrowed his eyes. Oliver leaned closer.

"Fine," Percy relented, "but then we're talking about Herbology at breakfast tomorrow."

"Only fair since we talked about the Harpies' chasers when I got Fred and George off your back." Oliver started to head out, pausing to clap a hand on Percy's shoulder and lean down so his mouth was right next to Percy's ear. "Also I like watching you debate."

Luckily Oliver was gone fast, because Percy's face was on fire.

***

They were coming back from Charms together (Oliver had taken to sitting in the front row with him, which had boggled Percy's mind the first few times until Flitwick had taken a point from Gryffindor for being distracted), when they ran into a large crowd blocking the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"Some first year's forgotten the password again," Oliver complained jokingly, rolling his eyes.

Percy nodded his agreement, starting to push through everyone. "Please move aside, I'm Head Boy. Excuse me."

But it wasn't a first year. The Fat Lady was gone, a large gash torn in her painting's canvas. Percy searched the crowd for a prefect, finally pulling one aside and telling her to fetch Dumbledore.

They found the Fat Lady several hallways away, and Dumbledore prodded her out of hiding with his wand.

"It was Sirius Black!" she screamed, and Percy's couldn't feel his fingers. He mind dive bombed into last year, Ginny in the Chamber, getting possessed, Ron and Harry throwing themselves into danger, when he was just focusing all of his attention on Penelope. Percy had promised himself it wouldn't happen again this year, but he always was one to get stuck in his ways. His papers hit the ground with a whump, but the sound was so distant he wasn't even sure it was his.

They slept in the Great Hall that night. Percy stayed up with the professors, pacing along the extent of the Great Hall at everyone's sleeping feet. He was Head Boy, this was his duty, he told McGonagall when she urged him to sleep, though he didn't think he'd be able to sleep if he tried.

Percy was spiraling, just a little bit. He had _promised_ himself, but here he'd gotten swept up _again_ , it wasn't even a girlfriend distracting him it was just Oliver, and maybe it was different this time since they actually knew what the danger was, but that was even less of an excuse, that just made him feel worse. So from then on he trailed Harry. He watched him like a hawk, following him around between classes and sitting close at meals. And since Ron was always with Harry, Percy kept his eyes glued to him too.

Harry wasn't happy with it and Ron became frosty with him, but the professors were doing it too so Percy couldn't really be in the wrong here. They were his responsibility, as his family. He was Head Boy, so he couldn't just let them run around like they usually did with a _murderer_ on the loose.

Fred and George told him to back off, and even Oliver suggested he take it down a notch, but they couldn't understand that this was what Percy _needed_ to do to keep them safe. He had failed with Ginny, and this was his second chance.

But Sirius Black got in the castle again, got inside the tower, got to Ron's _bed_. Percy didn't want to believe it at first, couldn't believe it (maybe it was the twins, they were thoughtless with their jokes last year, but even they had to be above this). But the curtains were torn, ripped to shreds. And he had been watching, he _had been_ , but he still couldn't protect them like he was supposed to.

So Percy buckled down. He increased the prefect patrols, bullied Dumbledore into weekly meetings with the Ministry to discuss the progress on catching Siruis Black. He stopped spending time with Oliver and Connor and the other prefects because he couldn't be distracted. He talked to McGonagall about how to increase security in the tower, taught Neville Longbottom a spell to make ink on parchment invisible to everyone but him. He stayed up late in the common room every night, studying for NEWTs with one eye always on the portrait hole until Oliver dragged him back up to their room, and he just had to hope it would be enough.

***

It wasn't of course, because Ron and Harry always threw themselves into trouble and never told Percy _anything_. Ron was back in the hospital wing, but they finally had him. Sirius Black was locked up in a tower waiting for a dementor's kiss, and Percy could finally breathe.

Dumbledore called him into his office later that night, though. "Sirius Black has escaped."

An icy fear gripped Percy's heart

But Dumbledore spread his hands with a smile. "Some new information has come to light. Sirius Black is innocent, he means no harm to Harry, the murderer was someone else. There is no proof, of course, aside from Harry's word, but I hope you trust it as much as mine."

"Of course, Headmaster."

***

They won. Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup for the first time in the seven years they'd been at Hogwarts. Percy was going to scream himself hoarse for the first time in his life.

Oliver was crying, big fat tears streaming down his face. He had to pass the Cup off so he could wipe the snot from his face. He looked like a blubbering mess, but Percy had never seen him happier.

Percy rushed onto the field with everyone else, and Oliver pulled him into a fierce and wet hug, and the twins were yelling in his ears as they hoisted Ginny between them, and Ron was just about crushing Harry in his excitement, and everything felt right.

***

The celebration moved to the common room, and from there he really only kept an eye on Fred and George and let everyone else run free. Ron and Harry had made it through the year relatively unscathed, and it was the first time Gryffindor had won in years, so he decided to not be Percy the Stuffy Prefect just this once (though he did confiscate some fireworks). As everything was winding down and people started going up to their rooms, Oliver slipped out of the crowd and joined Percy leaning against the wall.

"I still can't believe we did it," he breathed.

"Guess all those morning practices paid off. Nice job, Captain."

Oliver laughed as though he still couldn't get quite enough air in his lungs. He held one arm out in front of him, bumping their elbows together. "Look, I'm still shaking."

Percy reached out a steady hand to grab Oliver's trembling fingers, stilling them. His hands were rough, warm and calloused, several shades darker than Percy's own. "It's the adrenaline." Percy peaked out of the corner of his eye, catching Oliver wide-eyed.

"Uh, yeah. Hey, Percy--"

"Wood! Colin's gonna take a picture. Get over here!"

Oliver snatched his hand away. "Right." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then Fred called him again so Percy shooed him away. "I'll still be here, go take your picture."

George thrust the Cup into Oliver's hands and had everyone pose around him. Colin took a couple pictures, and then a couple more, and Percy rolled his eyes as Fred and George directed everyone into more dramatic poses. One particularly wild configuration led to Harry just about being dropped headfirst to the floor, causing them to break off into another round of cheering and celebration.

Percy figured it was time to step in before it got any crazier. "Alright, break it up. You guys are up too late as it is, everyone off to bed."

The younger ones scampered off immediately, but Fred and George kept trying to drag everyone back.

"C'mon Percy! It's not that late."

"Just a little more."

"No," he told them sternly. "I'm Head Boy, and I'll dock ten points from everyone who's still in this room in the next thirty seconds."

They all raced around to grab their scattered belongings and fled the room. Percy sighed at the mess they'd left.

"You gonna dock points from me, Perce?"

He whipped around. Oliver was still standing there, crooked grin on his face. Percy pushed his glasses up his nose to hide his smile. "I guess I could let it slide, just this once. Just don't tell Fred and George."

"Percy Weasley breaking the rules? I can't believe it."

"Shut up, Wood."

"Aw, I thought we were past that."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Not if you're gonna be a prat about it."

Oliver shuffled over into one of the armchairs, waving Percy over to join him. Their knees touched, the fire crackling before them.

Something niggled at the back of Percy's mind. "What were going to say earlier? Before getting dragged over for the pictures?"

"Oh, uh, nothing really."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

Oliver looked like he was fumbling around with his words a bit, before finally saying, "I'm glad we're friends."

A pleasant feeling spread through his body, grounding him, and Percy smiled. "Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I was finally starting to write McGonagall's name correctly on the first try every time, but now I've started using ctrl+f to compare the number of McG's and McGonagall's and they were not the same :( . In other news, I very briefly thought about getting them together this chapter, but shot that down fast bc Percy's gonna get thrashed pretty soon and I think it would be hard for any relationship would survive that. Also, I prefer stories where they only get together at the very end, so you guys are gonna have to wait a little longer.


	8. The Ministry: Arthur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this week has had like the biggest uptick in kudos/comments since chapter 2 and it makes me really happy and really pushed me to finish this chapter. But sadly I've hit a wall a little in my writing, and I'm all out of ideas for cute scenes so it's gonna be a struggle. Plus I'm currently in a consuming mode and not a creating mode like I was when I started this, and I'm super busy rn. But next chapter is mostly written and I'm pretty happy with it so that should be out in a week or so. But the last chapter might be a while. I've already started rewriting it once and I'm probably gonna do it again. Wouldn't it be really sad if I just got stuck here and couldn't upload the last chapter where everybody's finally happy again. Promise I'll do my best, but it's gonna be slow bc you guys deserve a satisfying ending and not some second rate crap. Anyway, enjoy this happy chapter before everything goes to shit.

Percy was ecstatic to finally be working for the Ministry. It was everything he had ever dreamed. Maybe longer hours than he had dreamed, but he didn't mind. And maybe the endless paper work was more than he wanted, but he was just starting out so he was prepared for that, and he'd get more responsibilities once he proved his worth.

What he was not prepared for was seeing Oliver at the Quidditch World Cup. He should've expected it, but there were so many people that them crossing paths hadn't really crossed his mind. But there he was, talking to Harry and the twins. Percy slowed his walk, not wanting to interrupt the team reunion and not sure what he would say to Oliver; they hadn't seen each other since graduating. When Percy got closer and Oliver noticed him, he gave a big grin and waved. Percy tried to school his face to keep the small smile off, but it must've still been there because Oliver grinned even wider.

"Percy!" he said, leaving the others to talk to him. "How's working at the Ministry?"

"It's good. A lot of paperwork, but it's good work."

"It's boring stuff about cauldron bottoms!" Fred taunted, George leering over his shoulder.

Percy soured a little and shoved Fred off. "I'm actually working on a special project for Mr. Crouch." He shot the twins a look, and they sauntered off after rolling their eyes. Percy turned back to Oliver. "It's top secret, though, so I can't say anything."

"Sounds important, but you've always been a hard worker so I'm sure you can handle it. And don't let them get to you, I'm sure cauldron bottoms can't be that boring." He punched Percy in the arm, still grinning.

Percy didn't think the twins or Oliver possessed the capacity to understand the nuances of the safety measures required for cauldron bottoms. At least Oliver would be supportive, but it was still probably better to change topics. Percy tried to rack his brain to remember what quidditch team Oliver had joined, but they all tended to jumble together so he couldn't pick one out. "How's uh, how's the team?"

"I love it!" Oliver's eyes were so bright and his excitement so contagious that Percy got swept away in it as he chattered on about the team -- Puddlemere United, Percy would make sure to remember -- and getting to play quidditch every day. 

Percy almost missed his family moving on. He turned as Cedric patted his shoulder in a signal, the entire group starting to disappear into the crowd. Percy turned back to Oliver, not quite ready to end the conversation, but "I've gotta go, my family's..." he jerked a thumb over his shoulder to follow them.

Percy couldn't be sure, but Oliver almost looked a little disappointed. "Yeah, 'course. Um, hey wait," he grabbed Percy's wrist to stop him from turning. "We should uh, we should get coffee or something. Breakfast like old times."

Percy felt warmth curling around his chest at the thought, and finally let a small smile slip through. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Yeah? Great, I'll uh, I'll owl you."

"Okay." Then Percy turned to hide his growing smile, and followed his family into the crowd.

"What's wrong with your face?" Ron asked when he caught up.

Percy ignored him.

***

They got lunch together most days, Percy and his father. Percy enjoyed this time alone, something that never happened at home. It was nice to have someone to talk to about work, who understood what it was like and not make fun of them for drafty old regulations. He could get advice on which department Heads to make nice with, which ones to avoid, which ones could be swayed if you needed their help.

Father would tell him how to make loopholes in laws that you could exploit without anyone else noticing or being able to abuse. There was a difference between his exploit and abuse that Father found important, one was acceptable while the other was nefarious (and Lucious Malfoy was one to go about the latter). He shared these with a secret smile, and Percy felt proud that his father thought he was good enough to confide in.

Percy felt like this was the one place where he could truly be his lofty. boring self that he always got mocked for. Father didn't see him that way, though. He encouraged Percy to pursue more interesting and impactful positions. He advised him on which departments to try to transfer into because the ladder was easy to climb and the Head would be retiring in a few more years. He knew Percy aimed high, and he believed Percy could handle any department because he was so motivated. Father said he admired his drive, and Percy felt invincible.

***

Oliver's owl dropped off a letter at the Burrow early one morning.

"Breakfast on Saturday?" it read in a smushed, scratchy scrawl. "I have practice in the mornings most days, but we get Saturday off. Pick any time that works for you."

Percy would prefer to be back before Fred and George woke up, so he turned the letter over and wrote "7am, Leaky Cauldron" in obnoxiously loopy writing and sent the owl back.

That weekend, Percy arrived promptly at seven. Oliver was already there, though Percy wasn't too surprised considering how many times Oliver had woken up before him at Hogwarts to drag the other quidditch players out to practice. Oliver waved brightly at him.

"Good morning," Percy said a little stiffly, inclining his head in greeting.

"No need to be so formal, Percy."

"Well I do work for the Ministry. It's part of the job." At Oliver's exaggerated eye roll, he admitted, "It's hard to break the practice sometimes."

"Good thing you'll be getting lots of practice with me, then." Oliver grinned, and Percy's stomach swooshed.

Luckily someone came to take their order so Percy could ignore that.

Oliver exclaimed about his team, and then cut off mid-sentence, saying "I can't believe you'll actually listen to me talk about quidditch without throwing up a silencing charm."

Percy sniffed. "I haven't done that since fourth year, when you went off the rails because you got Captain."

Oliver grinned, though a little sheepishly. "I did go a little overboard, yeah."

"It's good, though." At Oliver's bewildered look, Percy tried to cover his embarrassment by continuing, "I mean, you're passionate about something, and you worked hard to be good. Everyone complained about you shoving quidditch in their faces all the time, but you got them a win that way." He hadn't done a great job of squashing the embarrassment, though, as Percy's face had gotten increasingly warmer as he talked. "You could get a little one-track-minded, though," he finished lamely.

Oliver looked a little red himself. "Like you're one to talk. It was always studies or becoming Head Boy with you."

"Guess we make a good pair then." Percy didn't register what he'd said until Oliver suddenly flushed. So he backpedaled hard, rambling about the most boring intricacies of cauldron bottoms until they both returned to a normal shade.

They ended up talking for two hours. Percy balked when he looked at his watch. "I need to get back." He was supposed to be back before the twins got up. Hopefully they wouldn't notice. At least he could escape the worst teasing since he would be barricading himself in his room because, "I do actually have to work on weekends."

"Do you want to this again next week?" Oliver blurted.

Percy looked up, pushing his glasses back up his nose as they'd almost slipped off. "Yes." He smiled. "This was fun, I'd like to do it again."

"Okay, good." Oliver's face had gone a little red but he was smiling too.

***

Once school started, Percy felt like he could breathe again. It was just him and his parents in the house. Father would drag him home from the Ministry, which always left them both a little disgruntled, but Percy was thankful for it. He got to sit down with his parents for a calm dinner, where Fred and George weren't trying to prank him, and no one told him to shove off when he talked about his work. Though sometimes he would pause after saying something particularly boring, and both Mum and Father would be looking at him with encouraging smiles on their faces, but Percy already had half a rebuke ready on his tongue for when his siblings called him out. It _was_ terribly boring if you weren't interested in that sort of thing, and Percy wasn't known for livening up uninteresting topics, and he almost missed having an excuse to change the subject. So he stuttered through the rest of it and deflected the next question to Father. It was easier to keep talking about the boring stuff if the people listening fought against the boring. It wasn't always nice when they kept trying to talk over him, though.

It was too quiet, sometimes. But the twins would owl him their pranks, and Ginny would write to him about how she was doing and he would try to keep his replies from being too dry, and he got to see them when he visited Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Of course Harry had to get caught up in another scheme, but he had handled all the others just fine, so Percy didn't think too hard about it.

Charlie also came back for the Tournament; Percy had been in contact with him about the dragons. It was nice to have someone else at home, even if he would rather talk about defying death on dragons than the paperwork Percy had completed for the Ministry, and he constantly bugged Percy about his weekly breakfasts with a certain quidditch player.

***

"You wanna go eat somewhere else today?"

Percy liked routine. And he especially didn't like his routine changing. But if Oliver was suggesting it... "Where?"

"Couple weeks ago I got brunch with my team at the this muggle place a few blocks down. Food's really good, I think you'd like it."

"I don't have any muggle money on me."

"That's alright, I can pay. Let's go." So Oliver grabbed Percy by the wrist and dragged him down the street.

"I'll pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," Oliver grinned over his shoulder and Percy's stomach swooshed again. Oliver's fingers gave his wrist a small squeeze, and Percy's mind went blank for a second. "It's my treat."

Percy pushed his glasses up his nose with his free hand. "Okay."

Oliver only released him once they arrived, but still stood close enough that their shoulders bumped. Percy's heart bumped in response.

"How's the Triwizard Tournament?" Oliver asked once they were seated and the food arrived.

"It's a lot of working, putting it all together and making sure everything's right. But it's nice seeing everyone at all the schools getting along. Ah, did I tell you I got promoted to Mr. Crouch's personal assistant?"

"That's really good, Percy!" Oliver kicked at his feet under the table with a smile.

"Oh, but they had to suspend quidditch for the year." Percy hid his smile behind his cup as Oliver let out an indignant yelp.

"I can't believe they cancelled quidditch again!"

"For the whole year, too. At least we've graduated. I don't think anyone could've got you out of moping then."

"You probably could. You're pretty good at it."

Percy flushed, but there was nowhere to hide. "Well," he stammered out, "you were always good at keeping me from getting lost in my head."

"Oh! You should come to one of my games. I don't get to play very much since I just joined the team and I'm still a reserve, but I'd like it if you came."

"Ah," Percy looked down at his plate. "I don't really have time. Working at the Ministry is so busy, I always end up going home late and working on weekends. It'd be fun to see you play, but I use up basically all of my free time with these breakfasts." When Percy looked back up, Oliver didn't seem very upset but almost a little giddy.

"You spend all your free time on me?"

Percy lifted his chin in defiance, attempting to defend himself. "Well, you spend your only morning off with me."

"You get it, though, the whole devoting all of your resources to one thing. I've never met anyone else who gets it like you do."

Percy could feel himself flushing to his ears. "Wha-What do you mean?"

Oliver laughed a little sheepishly. "You know everyone always makes fun of me for only ever thinking about quidditch. But you don't. Or at least you only ever judged me for being obsessed with a _sport_ , not that I was spending all of my time on it."

"Oh." Percy ran his finger around the rim of his cup. "Yeah. I guess... I guess I understand it because I'm the same. Not about quidditch, but studies, and paperwork. You never made fun of me for that." A sudden impulse hit, and before he could think himself out of it, he reached across the table to grab Oliver's sleeve. "Ah, thank you, for never patronizing me for that."

Oliver had gone stock still, his gaze trained on his sleeve where Percy's freckled fingers were curled into the cloth. Then he flashed Percy a brilliant smile. "Thanks back at ya."

Percy looked down, hiding his embarrassment with a cough and releasing Oliver's sleeve to push his glasses back up his nose. "Yeah, okay."

"Can't apologize _or_ take thanks well?" Oliver teased.

"Shut up Quidditch Brain," he shot back, but he was smiling.

***

Percy's father stopped next to his desk. "Percy! Ready to go?"

Percy glanced up, noticing everybody was packing up their things and heading out. "Oh, I have to finish up this paperwork for Mr. Crouch."

His father hummed in return. "Alright, but don't stay too long, you know your mother's going to want you at dinner."

"Of course," Percy mumbled, already getting lost in broomstick regulations again.

The next time he looked up, it was after eight. Mum wouldn't be too happy. With a sigh, Percy packed away his things and strode off to the floo. Father didn't try as hard to drag him home at a reasonable time now that Charlie was back. At least his work was done for the day.

***

They were walking to another breakfast place, when out of nowhere a cluster of kids ran by and crashed into Percy. He stumbled forward, feet slipping from underneath him, but then he was being hauled upright. He tripped backwards in the recovery, and then he was tugged into Oliver so their chests bumped together. Oliver's hand was clamped around his arm. They were so close, Percy could count his eyelashes. Oliver's eyes were really brown, and his lips.... Percy jerked back as somebody else bumped into them. He shoved his glasses up his nose as if that could push whatever that thought was from his mind.

"You alright?"

Percy nodded because he wasn't sure his voice would come out right.

Then Oliver slid his hand down Percy's arm. Down, down, down, until their palms pressed together. Oliver's fingers wrapped around his hand. "Just in case you trip again," he said but he sounded a little breathless, looked a little uncertain.

"Just in case," Percy said and it came out a little strangled and he was sure his ears were red enough to blend into his hair, but Oliver was grinning and Percy's stomach took flight.

***

Mr. Crouch was giving Percy more and more duties. He mentioned it to Father over lunch once, and he frowned a bit and said "Usually assistants aren't given that many responsibilities." Percy held back a smile; Mr. Crouch must really trust him to do a good a job. Then Father started wondering if maybe he should get assistant, since the number of raids and incidents with muggles was increasing, and Percy hopped on the idea.

He forgot about that conversation until the trial. 

They called it an Inquiry, but that was just a fancy bureaucratic word. He knew a lot of fancy bureaucratic words.

He felt like screaming.

He'd only worked with Mr. Crouch for a couple months, Mr. Crouch didn't actually know _his name_ , how many other people had worked with him for _years_ and not noticed anything was amiss, he was just an _assistant_ , he and Father had stopped eating lunch together, everyone received instructions through memos so how was it any different that he got _his_ through owl, the inquiry always ran late and he could never make it home for dinner, he hadn't actually talked to Mr. Crouch in _weeks_ , why did they think it was all on _him_.

He was lucky he wasn't fired.

They were about to wrap everything up when it all got swept away, pushed under a rug and forgotten. Because Dumbledore flew in like a hailstorm saying Voldemort was back, Harry Potter was there, a boy had _died_. Everything went sideways. Everything went mad.

And then Percy got promoted. Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic. After being whipped around like a leaf in a thunderstorm for the last few weeks and this new disaster yanking him and everyone along in a raging current, he clutched on to this one piece of good news like a lifeline. Fudge must've seen past everything that no one else could, thought Percy deserved a chance to redeem himself. But he wasn't fired, he wouldn't be stuck pushing papers for the rest of his career, he had a good job, he was one step closer to his dream.

Arthur disagreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sucks that I just started spelling McGonagall right on the first try and now she's not gonna show up anymore. You guys have been getting really spoiled with less than a week between updates so far, and I'm sorry to say that's not gonna continue from now on, but there's only two chapters left so please stick with me! I don't have a ton of free time now, but I'm doing my best to end this strong. Thanks for reading!


	9. War: The Weasleys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update right on schedule! (mostly). I always wonder how much you guys remember of what happened in the books, because I do my best to include those scenes, but sometimes they didn't fit with my story so I just scrap it without a second thought. But then other times, I'm like I gotta include this super minor scene bc it happened in the books and I'll force it in there if I have to, but then most of you probably can't even pick those out from the scenes I just made up myself. Anyway, this chapter was one of the most fun for me to write. May or may not be up to my usual standards bc I'm pretty tired rn and that makes it harder to pick out the awkward/bad parts. When I started writing this chapter I actually had in my title "aka the saddest chapter ever" so have fun!

It ended in a shouting match. That's not exactly where it ended, but Percy felt like that's where it ended. On the way to his room, he passed by Ginny, looking terrified, and Ron, a combination of scared and angry. But _Percy_ was angry. His no-good father didn't think he was good enough to work under Fudge. They all trusted crack-pot _Dumbledore_ over the Minister. _Ridiculous_. Stupid. Harry grew up with _muggles_ , didn't actually _know_ anything about dark magic, he probably just saw a shadow or an imprint and blew the whole thing out of proportion. He'd been targeted every year at Hogwarts, so he just expected the same thing to happen again. And Dumbledore believed him, the fool. Everyone _knew_ Dumbledore was mad, they _all_ acknowledged it, so why would they stand by his _buffoonery_ when the Ministry was the trusted authority? Father _worked_ for the Ministry. Percy packed up his things in a blind rage, shoving clothes and books into bags as fast as he could. He would deal with wrinkled clothes and ripped pages later, but for now he just needed to _leave_.

He stormed back down the stairs, past his furious father and his crying mother in the kitchen. "Don't come looking for me," he announced, head held high until the last moment, then slammed the door on his way out and apparated with a loud _crack_.

Percy landed outside Diagon Alley with a sharp pain in his side. He'd barely had a destination in mind when he'd apparated, and knew the only thing saving him was his pertinacity. But he hadn't come in one piece. Luckily the anger and adrenaline kept the pain at bay.

He got a room at the Leaky Cauldron from a sorry-looking Tom and hurled his things down in a clattering heap to properly treat his wound. "Accio dittany." 

Percy's mind raced as he applied the dittany to his wound, a large but shallow gash stretching along his ribs. He had to find somewhere to live. He could start researching flats tomorrow, and move in to one by the end of the week. Might as well be in London, since he'd be closer to the Ministry and wouldn't have to worry about running into his father at the floo. Percy hissed as the dittany repaired his side. He'd also have to owl Oliver, push their weekly breakfast off. That could wait until tomorrow.

Wound treated, exhaustion hit him like a train. Percy stripped out of his clothes, careful of his side, and curled up on the bed. Sleep didn't come easy.

***

Percy kept pushing off breakfast with Oliver. He avoided his father, arriving early to the Ministry and leaving late, always on foot. His flat was a mile from the Ministry. He owled his parents as a courtesy, so they knew his general whereabouts and wouldn't worry about his well-being. (He knew they would still worry).

Mum showed up at his door. Percy answered the knock without thinking, expecting the landlord to come by to see to his complaints about noisy neighbors. But then it was his mum instead, eyes warm and soft and hopeful, and Percy couldn't take it. He slammed the door in her face.

He heard the first sob through the door, but stuffed his fingers in his ears and locked himself in his room to get away from the rest.

***

Father tried to talk to him at the Ministry. Percy said if he didn't have anything to discuss with Minister Fudge, then Mr. Weasley could kindly show himself out.

***

Bill wrote him a letter, begging him to come back. Percy stashed it deep in the back of one of his drawers and didn't bother writing a response.

***

Ginny threatened to hex him into his next life if he didn't come back and apologize. He warded the doors and windows, but she didn't try anything.

***

Percy trashed his flat and cried himself to sleep. He reparo'd everything in the morning.

***

He wrote Ron, once. He never got a reply.

***

Mum sent his Christmas sweater. Percy almost ripped it into pieces, but sent it back instead.

***

Fred and George sent a Howler when Percy didn't visit Father in St. Mungo's. Percy ripped that one up.

***

Charlie didn't try to contact him at all. Percy didn't contact him either.

***

Oliver showed up at his door. Percy saw him through the peephole (he always checked it now), and didn't answer. But then he kept knocking, and knocking, and knocking, so Percy wrenched open the door, ready to yell at him to go away.

"I thought I'd make breakfast."

At that, Percy paused, noticing the grocery bags in Oliver's hands. "What?"

"Well, you've been avoiding me for weeks, so clearly something's wrong. If you don't want me here, I'll leave, but I think you could use a friend."

"Okay." And it was weak, and his voice cracked, and Percy was sure he looked like death, but Oliver just smiled and stepped through the door.

He must've noticed Percy's socked feet, because Oliver toed off his shoes before heading to the kitchen. "I hope crepes are okay."

Percy waited in the entryway a moment longer, picking up the pieces and pulling himself together. He took a deep breath in, counted to five, and then followed Oliver. "Crepes are fine."

***

He showed up again two days later, "Omelettes?" And Percy let him in.

Then again three days after that, "I've got practice soon, but how about a quick bowl of cereal?" Percy's fridge was slowly filling up with fresh food that hadn't been there for weeks.

"I've been talking to Charlie," Oliver said the next day over pancakes. 

Percy felt something like rage, white-hot and angry, bubbling up inside of him. It fizzled out within seconds. Not his family anymore. "Ah," he said instead of the hundreds of things that had been clamoring around in his head since he left.

There was a pause, a clink as Oliver set down his utensils, then, "He was asking about you. Hadn't heard from you in a while, so he asked if I knew how you were doing."

"Ah."

"So I told him I hadn't seen you because you kept saying you couldn't do breakfast. I was planning on bullying you back into it soon anyway, but he seemed pretty concerned. Just thought you should know, I guess."

"Mmm."

"They're all worried about you."

But not enough to support him over Harry. Not enough to make a real effort. "Yeah."

" _I'm_ worried about you."

Percy looked up at that, saw the hurt and pain in Oliver's face. "Sorry," he murmured. "I just..." thought it was easier to cut everyone off, didn't think you'd understand, was angry and stubborn, could barely face myself so nobody else should have to. He didn't say any of that, though. All of it was true, but all of it was too much, but it also wasn't quite enough.

"We're friends, right? Friends are supposed to rely on each other. Okay? So don't disappear on me again. I gave you space because I thought you needed it, but...."

Percy's lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile. "Good thing I've never been very good at pushing you away."

***

They were right, though, in the end. Percy was there when they saw him. There was Harry Potter and Dumbledore, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And Percy wasn't even surprised. He realized he had been so hungry for power and a sense of duty and to just do _something_ that he had blinded himself in his pride. Fudge resigned in fear and shame. Percy stayed because someone needed to advise the next Minister, and he had to pay for his flat.

***

Oliver sat down next to him at the counter, bumping their elbows together. "How's the Ministry?"

"Fine," Percy said, which was mostly true.

Oliver reached his hand out, nudging Percy's so he could tangle their fingers together, palm to palm. "In case you trip again."

Percy squeezed his hand tight.

***

Minister Scrimgeour dragged him to the Burrow once. Percy shouldn't need to be dragged to his own home. Mum was happy. Ginny and the twins were not. Percy felt scorned and cheated and embarrassed, so he left with parsnips on his ropes and without Scrimgeour. Scrimgeour didn't come back happy, either.

***

An invite for Bill's wedding came. Percy left it on the counter, picked at the edges for a couple days. Oliver asked him about it once while they ate breakfast at the counter. Percy buried it with Bill's first letter and didn't talk to Oliver for a week.

***

Then it was too late.

***

They said Scrimgeour resigned. But Percy worked for him. If Scrimgeour had resigned, Percy would know. He wasn't there when it happened, otherwise he probably would've resigned too. But Percy could guess what happened. When he showed up the next day to find a different man in his boss's chair, Percy knew something was wrong. Bureaucracy was not that fast. It would take longer than a single night for a Minister to resign and be succeeded by a new one so suddenly.

But Percy knew the world was different now, so he didn't comment. He filled in the new Minister on his progress and asked how he would like to proceed.

***

It took Percy a little while to figure it out. Pius Thicknesse was under the Imperius Curse. He used to head the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and though Percy's father wasn't fond of the man, he considered Thicknesse upright and respectable. But Percy had already been called into questioning once for not noticing that his superior wasn't in his right mind. He promised himself he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

This time he didn't.

But this time it didn't matter.

Voldemort was behind it all, and Pius Thicknesse did not have the finesse a Minister required. He took everything as a hack and slash, though Percy wasn't sure if that was his own character or the person on the other end of the wand. It seemed as though everyone who had an ounce of sense in them was gone, replaced by hacks and blood purists who didn't care if anything functioned as long as only the faithful stayed standing. So Percy took it into his own hands, making everything flow smoothly. And if a couple regulations got lost, well, he could point the finger at any number of incompetent fools. 

It wouldn't be enough, though.

If Pius Thicknesse gave an order, Percy would execute it. He would clean it up, make it reasonable. Maybe not _reasonable_ , none of this was reasonable, but less outlandish, less aggressively single-minded, less cruel. Percy was good at paperwork. He was good at knowing how bureaucracy worked. That's why Scrimgeour kept him on. Though, Percy finally admitted, it probably wasn't why Fudge hired him. 

***

Oliver had taken to bacon and eggs lately. He said the protein was good for keeping energy throughout the day. Percy could stomach it, at least. There was a lot that was hard to stomach these days.

They sat next to each other on the wooden stools at Percy's counter. The silence weighed heavy around them, but two could hold it up. When it was just one person by himself, it was crushing.

Percy reached out a trembling hand. Reached as far as he could, until he brushed again the back of Oliver's hand, hooked their pinkies together because he felt too weak to do anything else. "For when I trip," he croaked, not able to look at Oliver but feeling his eyes on him.

Oliver slipped his hand around so their fingers slotted together for real. Solid and firm, he said, "I'll catch you if you do."

***

Percy hunkered down and collapsed on himself. Dad had stopped showing up to his job. People he worked with slowly disappeared each day. The Minister gave speeches to them about blood purity and eradication, and Percy buried himself deep, deep down. He did what we was told, built a hard exterior around his heart, kept his features stoic. He kept the wheels turning, held everything together with his bare hands. Pius Thickneese may be imperiused and everyone else may be fools, but Percy knew what needed to be done to keep everything from collapsing. He ate silent breakfast by himself or with Oliver in the morning, poured all of his energy into the Ministry during the day, and shivered in his bed at night with exhaustion and fear pulling him in and out of nightmares. Oliver never commented on it, but Percy felt like he was losing his soul to dementors. And maybe he was.

***

He didn't know where his family was, hadn't heard from any of them in a long time. He pretended like he didn't care. "Good riddance," he told his colleagues with a roll of his eyes, "stupid blood traitors, the lot of them." He didn't know if them disappearing was good news or bad. 

Oliver told him about the twin's radio program. Percy listened to it once, but he couldn't play both sides; he'd already chosen his and there was no getting out. But Oliver said he could, if he waited for the right moment. So Percy waited.

***

He waited until the very last minute. Oliver showed up on his doorstep, face grim. "War's about to start, you coming?"

Percy had been imagining this moment, waiting for it, dreading it. He still didn't know what he was going to answer.

"This might be it," he continued. Oliver held out his hand.

Percy hesitated a moment more, then grabbed Oliver's hand and they apparated away.

Percy almost cried when he saw them, out of desperation, out of regret. "I was a fool," he shouted, but then his family accepted him back, something he had refused to ever dream about it. He got to fight beside them now, as a Weasley, as something to be proud of.

***

"Hello, Minister! Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce! You actually _are_ joking, Percy. I don't think I've heard you joke since you were--"

And then Percy's world came tumbling down with the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small note on the last bit: I considered switching the pronouns so it's: "'This might be it,' Oliver continued. He held out his hand." but I liked the ambiguity that at first it could be Percy talking, cuz that's what he might be thinking. Idk if you guys realize how much thought I put into word choice, but there's a little taste of it. Anyway, one last chapter to go but I've made zero progress on it, and considering how long it took me to upload this one even tho most of it was already written, so tbh it could take me a month to get it out. Oh well. Thanks for sticking with me through this story! Stay safe and stay strong!!


	10. After: Percy Weasley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I did say it would be a month, so here I am almost two weeks early! (felt like a month, tho, jeez) At one point I wrote tired instead of tighter and I didn't catch it until 3 days later, so that probably says something. This was really a push for me to get out with how busy I've been and also how hard it was to come up with ideas (it's hard to figure out the balance between happy and sad scenes, so literally I just started writing random things that I thought would make good scenes, and then spent thirty minutes trying to put them in an order that made vague sense before going back and editing them all again multiple times. But that's how it got to be my longest chapter with 4000 words). Anyways, I hope you enjoy the final chapter!! :)

It was over. It didn't feel like an ending, though.

Percy didn't want to be around his family. They had welcomed him back, but he wasn't sure if they'd truly forgiven him yet. He didn't feel like he belonged. So he told Dad he needed some air, and he went outside.

All the bodies had been dragged inside, so now the living sat around in little clumps. Probably crying. Percy felt like crying, but that well had dried up long ago. He sat on the grass, for once in his life not caring about stains.

Percy jumped when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Hey, it's just me," Oliver said, dropping to the ground next to him.

Percy took a shaky breath in and shot him a wobbly smile.

"You alright?"

Percy made some strangled gurgling sound and pitched sideways so his forehead collided with Oliver's shoulder. "Ow."

"Well, you kinda did that to yourself." But Oliver was rubbing his back, and this felt comfortable and safe and not awkward, and Percy never wanted to leave.

"I think I like you," he mumbled, half in awe at never having really realized it before. He lifted his head to see Oliver just kind of gaping at him.

Percy was surprised Oliver could get the word past his gobsmacked expression, "What?"

But it was out in the open now, and he wanted this, and there had to be a reason Oliver was here and not with anyone else, so Percy said it again. "Oliver Wood, I like you."

"Oh thank Merlin." And then Oliver rushed forward and kissed him, and it felt like coming home. "You tosser," he muttered in between kissing, "I thought you'd never..." but he was laughing, and that made it harder to keep going but Percy didn't really care. He felt lighter than he had in years. Everything around them faded as Percy got lost in Oliver's lips. They tasted like dirt and ash and blood, but it felt soft and warm and safe. Percy's stomach lurched, erupting into a million butterflies when Oliver whispered his name.

Eventually they broke apart, relaxing against each other with their hands clasped between them. The sun traced its way across the sky as they sat in peaceful silence, letting the crowd filter out around them.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, your mother said I might find you here."

Percy lifted his head to see Kingsley Shacklebolt, robes in disarray, but lines of relief creasing his face. Percy started to stand up, but Shacklebolt held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm not here to bother you for long. But the Ministry is in need of restructuring, and I was hoping you'd be willing to contribute. There are few candidates for Minister of Magic, and as one of them, I want to confer with you to see if you will be continuing on in your position of Assistant to the Minister. I know it would be very valuable to me, or whoever takes up the mantle."

"Sir... I'm not sure what to say. I...."

"You don't need to give an answer now, everyone deserves a little time off. But the Ministry is currently in shambles and needs to be picked up quickly to avoid any vestiges of Voldemort surfacing. You're the last decent person to stand near the helm, so your knowledge and experience is invaluable. I'll be waiting for your owl. My wishes go out to you and yours."

"Thank you," Percy murmured, gripping Oliver's hand tightly. "I'll let you know soon."

Shacklebolt gave one last nod, a small smile ghosting over his face before it vanished and he walked away.

"Are you going to do it?" Oliver asked after a beat.

"I don't know. I need to... I should spend time with my family first. With... well, Mum will want us home."

Oliver hummed in response.

"Would you...?" Percy paused, mulled the words over, picked some out and rephrased, "Would you like to come?"

"What?"

"Just, Harry and Hermione will probably stay with us. Lee, too," Percy felt a tickle in throat, but he pushed on. "Bill has Fleur, and Ginny's probably going to bring Luna. It'll be really crowded, so if you don't want to that's okay. But--" _I don't have anyone_ remained unsaid, caught in the back of his throat but whispered on the wind. 

"Yeah, I'll come" Oliver said, but what Percy heard was _you have me_.

***

It was if Mum had invited everyone who didn't have anywhere to go, but Percy tried not to dwell on that too much. They all flooed to the Burrow together, but there were about four times as many people as there should be. He could almost imagine that Fred was just lost in the crowd, but George and Lee stood alone.

Nothing had changed at the house, but _everything_ had changed. Percy walked through in a daze, Oliver's hand keeping him anchored. He avoided the clock, because he already knew what he would see.

Mum bustled by them, her arms full of bundles of cloth. "Come outside to set help set up the tents!" she called. 

So they trooped outside behind her and got to work.

***

It was a slow process, forgiving himself. He knew his family had forgiven him, could tell by how they welcomed him at the dinner table and dragged him around the house. He knew Oliver had never blamed him, even when he was spouting Ministry propaganda like his life depended on it. But Percy had turned his back when it mattered most, and it had made him miserable.

He cried when Dad apologized to him for not being better, for not noticing what was happening. He cried when George apologized to him for always going out of their way to tick him off. He cried when Charlie apologized for not knocking sense into his thick skull. He cried when Bill apologized for not reaching out more. He cried when Ron apologized for being a bit of a rude git. He cried when Ginny apologized to him for not watching out for him like he did for her. He cried when Harry apologized for everything always seeming to circle back to him.

Percy apologized to them a thousand times over, until they grew sick of it and told him they still loved him and he needed to stop already. 

But when he looked in the mirror to try to form those words for himself, he was overcome with shame and fury and guilt, and he had to choke it all back to keep from collapsing in on himself.

***

"Hey," Oliver said, meeting Percy on the landing outside his room.

"Hi," Percy said back, and Oliver got even closer. Another step closer and the tips of their feet were touching.

Oliver's face was really close. So close their noses bumped, so close that Percy closed his eyes.

Then there was a yelp to his right, and Percy startled, banging his forehead against Oliver's. "Wha--?"

Ron was standing there, mouth agape, finger pointing wildly between the two of them. "What were you doing?" he exclaimed.

"Percy just thought he had something in his eye, so I was taking a look at it."

"That's not what it looked like!"

"Ron," Percy tried, but Ron stalked closer and eyed up Oliver.

Ron jabbed a finger into Oliver's chest. "No funny business, got it?"

"Cross my heart," Oliver replied earnestly, but Percy could see he had his fingers crossed behind his back.

After throwing him one last hard look, Ron stormed off up the stairs.

"Sorry," Percy mumbled, "Ron can get a little hot-headed sometimes."

"Well, considering I was about to kiss his brother, I think I can give him a pass."

It took Percy a second to process that sentence. "Wait, what?"

"C'mon, Charlie sent me up here to get you." He started to turn, "Don't want to make them wonder what's taking so long."

"Wait--" Percy fisted his hand into the front of Oliver's shirt, pulling him back so their lips collided. It wasn't very pretty, hitting at an odd angle that landed Oliver's nose in his cheek, and Percy pulled back quickly as his whole face turned red. But then Oliver smiled brighter than he'd ever smiled (except maybe after winning the Quidditch Cup), so Percy figured it was worth it.

"I said no funny business!" Apparently Ron was already on his way back down, and skirted around them with a scowl on his face and Hermione on his heel.

Percy hid his face in his hands, mortified. Oliver laughed, and Hermione let out an indignant "Ronald!" as she passed by, followed by a soft thump and a yelp from Ron.

"I can't believe they saw that," Percy muttered, hoping the floor would swallow him up. He'd hid his relationship with Penelope for good reason, and the teasing was bound to be ten times worse now that Ron was going to tell everyone how he kissed _Quidditch Star_ Oliver Wood.

Oliver was still laughing as he pried Percy's hands away from his face. "Aw, c'mon, they were gonna find out anyway." He didn't let go, holding Percy's hands between them.

"They weren't supposed to find out like _that_ ," Percy replied.

"Well that means we can do it again, right?"

So they did.

***

George found him alone in the backyard, staring at the sky. He walked in front of Percy, and started toeing the ground with his shoe. "We never hated you, you know," he said. "You were just such an easy target."

"I know," Percy replied. Then admitted, "I might've hated you a couple times."

George offered him a lop-sided grin, a little broken at the edges. "Yeah, I kinda figured. Made it easier to justify pranking you, though."

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother."

"I'm sorry, too. But I'm glad you came back."

"Me too."

"I'm still gonna send dragon dung to your office, though."

Percy took a deep breath, counting to five. "I don't think I'm going back."

George gave him a long, searching look. "That was your dream."

"I know. I just," Percy looked around helplessly for the words he wanted, but they stayed just out of reach.

"It doesn't feel right," George said for him, "to go back after all that happened."

"Yeah." Percy looked down at his hands, clenched tightly into shaky fists at his sides. 

"I get it. I don't want to go back to the shop, with," he stumbled over the name and Percy's heart squeezed in his chest at the memory of a final laugh dashed away on the wind, "Fred... not here."

"You are going to go back, though, aren't you?"

"Are you going back to the Ministry?"

Percy paused, feeling oddly like he was being challenged. George stood opposite him, looking weary and lost, but there was defiance in his eyes. Percy felt like a shell of himself, like the last year at the Ministry had sucked everything out of him. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get himself back. George probably wouldn't either. Would he ever be able to step foot in his shop without feeling the loss like a sucker punch to the gut? Would Percy ever feel comfortable walking into the Ministry without feeling sickened by everything that happened, everything he did? "I don't know," he finally said.

"I'll go back if you do."

Percy wasn't about to let himself be the reason George never opened his shop back up. So he started drafting the letter to Kingsley in his head. "Deal."

Kingsley's resplendent reply came that night, urging Percy to come in to lead them around the mess that'd been left in his wake.

"Shit," George said when Percy told him. "I didn't think you'd actually go back."

So Percy grinned and ruffled his brother's hair. "Your turn now." 

***

"We're having six kids you know, five if you're okay with playing quidditch." Oliver grinned, his hair mussed.

Percy choked on a laugh. "Isn't that a little serious?"

"Who's more serious than us?"

***

Bill and Charlie cornered him in the kitchen, wicked smiles on their faces.

"Never knew you liked quidditch so much," Charlie started with a wink.

"I don't," Percy replied, raising his head in defiance. He was taller than Charlie now, and being able to look down his nose at him made it easier to ignore the smug satisfaction on his face.

"Ron mentioned something a little different."

Percy's mind flashed back to hallway, his lips clumsily pressed to Oliver's, and suddenly couldn't look his brothers in the eye. "Ah, that," he said, now glad that it was Ron who caught him and not one of his older brothers.

Bill reached out a hand to ruffle Percy's hair. "We're happy for you."

Percy shoved his glasses up his nose. "Yes, well, thanks." But he could see how Bill and Charlie were smiling genuinely, and warmth curled around Percy, stretching to his fingertips.

"And now," Charlie continued, the mischievous glint coming back into his eyes, "when we ask you what your quidditch team is, you'll have an answer."

"The Harpies," Percy deadpanned. "Because that's where Ginny's gonna play."

"Better not let Oliver hear you say that."

"Better not let me hear what?" Oliver had entered the kitchen, bright grin on his face, hair messy from flying and cheeks pink. Percy felt his knees go a little weak.

"Percy finally has a favorite quidditch team now! It's--" before Charlie could finish, Percy tackled him to the ground. Limbs flailing, Percy tried to wrangle his brother into silence, but Charlie had always been stronger and soon had Percy pinned. " _Harpies_ ," he finally crowed in a fit of laughter, weakening just enough that Percy could push him off.

"Really?" Oliver asked, eyebrows raised and arms crossed over his chest. "I guess you'll have to come to one of my games then, so you'll change your mind."

***

The Ministry was in shambles, literally. Kingsley had mentioned both the floo and visitor entrances were out of service, so Percy apparated to his flat to grab some of his things before reaching the Ministry on foot. What Kingsley had failed to mention though, was that those entrances weren't just out of service, but completely destroyed.

Percy walked through the main lobby in a daze, piles of rubble obscuring the glimmering tile he was used to. The fountain was toppled, and had dried up days ago.

Kingsley strode out to meet him, a surprisingly jovial expression on his face. "Mr. Weasley, right on time as usual."

"What happened here?"

"Ah, well, while the main battle was occurring at Hogwarts, some took it upon themselves to storm the Ministry in the meantime. Won't be easy to repair, what with all the security magic that needs to put back in place, so we thought we'd leave it like this for a while as a reminder. Plus there are more important matters to attend to. Shall we?"

Percy nodded and let Kingsley sweep him away to start his job again.

***

It could get a little suffocating around the house sometimes. Mum was always crying. George would stare blankly into space, sometimes reaching up to feel around where his ear used to be. The empty space next to him was sickeningly obvious. Bill had scars running over his face that Percy was too scared to ask about. Dad would disappear into his shed for hours on end. Harry kept reaching up to rub the scar on his forehead. Ginny and Ron were always storming around, footsteps pounding throughout the house. Charlie would spend the entire day adventuring in the wilderness far beyond the house, returning late at night covered in dirt and new scratches.

Sometimes it felt normal. Oliver organized small quidditch games with whoever was around. He'd manage to drag Percy into one once, but it'd been years since he'd been on a broom, so Percy tapped out after an hour of jerky, disorienting flying. It was still fun to watch. Ginny played every game, quick and fierce. Ron and Oliver had a keeper face off. Charlie joined a couple games, though he spent more time performing crazy loops and dives than actually looking for the snitch. Harry would offer tips to the younger kids, shouting up from the ground next to Hermione who was buried under a small pile of books. George was also on the ground, with Lee next to him giving his horrendous commentary.

Slowly the people and tents filtered out of the Burrow, heading home or somewhere new. The quidditch games dwindled in size and frequency, until some days it was just Ginny shooting against Oliver. Charlie returned to Romania, though he promised to come back for the funeral. Before long, the house felt unnervingly empty.

***

"Ah," Percy started, not entirely sure how best to broach the subject. But he had always been one for blunt honesty, so, "Is your family alright? It's just, everyone else has tried to get in contact with their family."

Oliver froze, the wood polish in his hands stilling over his broom. "Uh, I mean. I know how they are. And I don't... I don't want to be home right now."

"What happened?"

He shrugged jerkily, body stiff. "Mum's obliviated. Happened a couple weeks ago, they were trying to help a couple muggleborns."

Percy's mind flashed back to when Oliver hadn't shown up for breakfast for almost a week, and when he had come back, he'd been more subdued. Percy'd known something was up, but he hadn't thought to ask. He'd been so absorbed in his own misery he hadn't even considered what Oliver was going through. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly, taking a seat next to him and reaching for his hand. He couldn't blame Oliver, Percy wasn't even sure he would've handled it appropriately if Oliver _had_ told him, but Percy wanted Oliver to be able to trust him.

"You were dealing with so much, I didn't want to bother you with that."

"I don't mind being bothered if it's you."

Oliver gave a quick smile, squeezing Percy's hand in thanks. "Well, you didn't tell me when you up and left your family."

Percy hummed in agreement. "I didn't even know what to tell myself. But your dad's okay?"

"Yeah, he's taking care of her since they were afraid Voldemort had taken over St. Mungo's, and now it's full up, so." He shrugged again.

"It's good they're... alive. Even if...."

Oliver sighed and slumped against Percy. They pressed together, shoulder to to hip, Oliver curling around Percy's arm. "Yeah." His grip on Percy's hand tightened as he continued in a strained voice, "Visit them with me? Not now, but some time later?"

"'Course."

***

Percy woke with a gasp, heart thundering and blood rushing in his head. It was dark all around, but Fred's ashen face was still imprinted on his eyelids. He dropped his head to his hands, pressing his palms to his eyes in the hopes that would burn the image away. His breaths were harsh against his throat, the air scratching its way in and out. Maybe if he just stopped breathing this would all go away.

There was a murmur next to him, rustling sheets. Oliver. Percy lifted his head, but could barely make out his figure in the darkness.

Percy slid his leg over, out from underneath the sheets into the cold air, then stopping right next to where was Oliver was starfished out on his stomach. Percy's foot hesitated a moment before he shifted so his toes brushed against Oliver's side. His breaths still came out shaky, his heart still pounded in his ears, but it hurt less.

***

The funeral was large, even though they had only invited the family. Though that family also included Lee, and Harry, and the old quidditch team, and all the Weasleys. Percy felt lost and out of place. He had the hair and the freckles and the last name, but when they talked about what happened during the war, he couldn't claim to be a part of any of it.

He cried, because he had lost something he had just gotten back. He cried because there so much he would change if he could. He cried because he missed the last three years of his brother's life. He cried because it felt like there was a gaping wound in his chest that would never heal.

George didn't have one of his ears, and Percy never found out how it happened.

They set off fireworks at the end, as the sky darkened. The light sparkled on the tears tracing down their faces.

The wind nipped at them, but Percy felt numb until George pulled him into the tightest hug of his life. Percy gasped in a breath as everything rushed back in. Lights danced in his vision, but George's coat was rough and real under his fingers, his tears wet as they dripped onto Percy's shirt.

"I'm sorry," Percy gasped as it ran like a mantra through his mind. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_. "If I had--"

George just pulled him tighter. "Don't be daft. We all wish we'd done things differently. It's done now." He pulled back, his face still screwed up, wretched with heartache. "He would've been glad you're here now."

***

"I'm going to move back into my flat."

Silence fell over the dinner table.

"But," George protested, "you just got back."

Ginny stood abruptly, her hair swishing around her as she stared Percy down. "Yeah, you can't leave now."

"It just makes more sense," Percy said matter-of-factly. "None of the Ministry entrances work, so I have to go on foot."

"Just apparate!" Ron this time, standing up next to Ginny until Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him down.

"He can't just apparate into the middle of muggle London while the Ministry's being rebuilt," Hermione said, with an exasperated roll of her eyes. "I'm surprised Percy didn't do it sooner."

"It's not like I'll be leaving forever," Percy tried. "It's not like... last time."

Dad cleared his throat, but kept his gaze on his plate. "You're doing big things now, Percy. If living there makes it easier, then you should do that. Just make sure to come home for dinner sometimes, Son."

Percy's heart just about cleaved in two. When was the last time Dad had called him that? He didn't realize he was crying until Mum started crying, and Oliver passed them both a tissue.

"You're not supposed to be crying," Ron mumbled. "Now I'm gonna start crying too."

***

"When are you moving back?"

Percy paused in his packing, looking over his shoulder at Oliver leaning against the door frame. He felt something tight coiling in his gut. "Uh, next week probably."

"Well I guess I've kinda overstayed my welcome already." Oliver gave a jerky little shrug.

"No, you haven't." His stomach coiled tighter. "Everybody likes you here, and there's still a bunch of people in the yard."

"They don't have anywhere to go back to, though. I do."

"Go with me," Percy said, coiling tighter and tighter as he finally said what he'd been building up the courage to say for the past two days.

Oliver blinked at him. "What?"

"I mean, only if you want to. We've already lived together for seven years so we know we get along. I don't- I don't want to be alone, and you're the person I want with me. So, yeah," he finished a little lamely when Oliver just continued to stare at him. "If you want to, you can, yeah...." His insides felt so tight that he wasn't sure it could be unwound without magic.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Let's do it." Then Oliver smiled, and Percy's gut uncoiled as his breath rushed out in a whoosh. Maybe Oliver's smile was magic.

***

Maybe Percy wouldn't forgive himself anytime soon, but with Oliver by his side and his family backing him up, he would one day. And they'd all be there for him until he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming on this crazy adventure with me and supporting me with all your comments and kudos! It would've been a lot harder to finish this without you :). This is the longest complete story I've ever written, and I'm super glad I made it through without quitting! I started writing this in January, and kinda dropped it bc school, until coronavirus hit in March and I spent like 3 days doing nothing but continuing what I'd started since I didn't have anything better to do, and then I just kept chugging it out like ten times faster than I thought I would. I'm happy so many people enjoyed this shit that came out of my brain <3 (p.s. If you're lucky and I'm motivated and have enough free time, expect to see another Percy/Oliver fic in a couple weeks/months. I wrote like 4000 words of one while finishing this chapter) Anyway <3 <3 <3 you're all great and thanks for making it this far with me!!


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